Sticky Situations and How To Survive In a Bionic World
by musicnotes093
Summary: Vengeful villains always on their tail? Check. Bionic parents and uncle? Check. Crazy life? Absolutely. Really, though, he wouldn't have it any other way. AU. Crosses over with multiple fandoms. [11: The truth about Midnight surfaces. Their fears come to life after Midnight's actions against the family trigger something they'd always hoped would never happen.]
1. Heartbreaks & How to Survive Kidnappings

**Title:** _"_ _Sticky Situations and How to Survive In a Bionic World"_

 **Rating:** T

 **Genre:** Adventure, Family

 **Character(s):** Leo, Donald, Tasha, Douglas – and the rest would have to be under wraps

 **Summary:** Vengeful villains always on their tail? Check. Bionic parents and uncle? Check. Crazy life? Absolutely. Really, though, he wouldn't have it any other way. AU. Crosses over with multiple fandom.)

 **Notes:** To put how this idea came up in an honest but complicated way, this stemmed from an original story material that was repurposed into fanfic then reworked back into the original novel and is now being used as an inspiration for this. Yep. My head's swimming, too.

Anyways, as noted this will be a one-shot for now, but further 'drabbles' may come later. (Hey, the line's open for any prompts compliant to this universe if you're later inspired to submit one!) Because of that, this will be kept open for now.

Please enjoy.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Anything associated with and recognizable from _Lab Rats_ does not belong to me. No, siree, they do not. However, there are particular elements here that I will claim. :)

* * *

 _Heartbreaks and How to Survive Kidnappings_

* * *

Falling in love is embarrassing. At seventeen, Leo thought he would have associated that normal yet still spectacular part of human life with a better adjective, but he hadn't. He couldn't. Tied and gagged on a rickety chair, hands and feet bound behind and below him, he couldn't help but feel stupid and maybe a little sorry for himself. He should have known better. His family had made a lot of enemies, and she was too beautiful to be paying attention to a guy like him.

He sighed. He really should've known better.

He guessed he didn't because he didn't want to. Janelle was so gorgeous and kind. There was something in the way she spoke that made his heart flutter, and there was something really captivating in the way she smiled. Her laugh mesmerized him. Whenever she chuckled at the weak jokes he made, it felt like he was floating somewhere in space. The attempt to ask her out two years ago had been a wild shot. When she said okay, though, it was like he won all the riches in the world.

Then, today, when he thought she was just inviting him to meet up to celebrate their two year anniversary, he ended up being kidnapped, _again_ —but with her, the person he trusted with his heart, betraying him. All the time he thought she was spending with him she was actually using to gather information for her father. Every date was a subtle interrogation, every visit a recon mission, and every text and call a way to keep a close eye on his family.

He just had to fall head over heels for the daughter of the leader of the Russian mob, of the man who held a deep-seated personal vendetta against his family, hadn't he?

It was all so pathetic. And sad. At this rate, he would never find love, especially if those bad men and women relentlessly continue on to seek revenge through him. Maybe he would just grow old alone, with a house full of dogs and cats and a litany of death threats that people want him to relay to the world renowned Bionic Three.

Soft but proud footsteps echoed from behind him until the person came into view. Towering over him and partially blocking the admittedly blinding lights of the wide, dingy warehouse, Ras Sokolov grinned down at him predatorily. "Little Mr. Davenport," he said, the warm fog of his breath reeking of menthol cigarette. "I didn't think it would be easy to get to you. I'm a little surprised you were so open for the taking. We thought the only heir to a billion dollar company would have been better guarded."

Leo glared at him. The wrinkles in Sokolov's eyes when he sneered, his salt and pepper hair and mustache, the arrogance in his every movement – Leo was beginning to see why they despised him so. _You're going back to jail. You and your daughter and all of your Old Spice smelling goons,_ he thought.

Reading that aptly, Solokov's grin only increased. "What, you think I'm going to jail? You think I'm not prepared?" He drew out a remote control from his pocket then waved it for the teenager to see. "I did my homework this time, malyutka. They are not going to bring me down again."

Leo looked at the control then at him then at the control again.

Sokolov responded with a guttural chuckle. Glancing at one of his men, he was handed a syringe filled with red liquid. "And if not, I have this. I heard it's bound to hurt whichever of them gets it? All my men are equipped with one in case the usual specials don't work," he said.

Leo struggled against his restraints, determined not to let the man get away with his scheme.

Sokolov only looked on in amusement.

Their attention was suddenly taken by the commotion outside the warehouse. Industrial, very weighty items were evidently tossed around, a few of them even periodically clashing against the gate. There were men yelling, shouting angrily in Russian for a moment until soon, they were silenced by the unstoppable force they were dealing with.

Sokolov and his men tried their best not to appear fearful at the absence of those noises, but by the half-step they took back, it was evident they dreaded what was coming.

Leo looked at the leader of the mob, a smirk pulling on his lips.

The men jumped as a loud bang went off after the person on the other side hit the gate with his bare fist. They slightly cowered back, but before they could prepare for it the second hit came, the large, metallic doors ripping open then falling apart like malleable foil.

There was no time to react. As the men were raising their weapons, a gray and silver blur swept past them, disarming them one by one and knocking them out. Before the mob leader could register what had taken place, all of his people were down, leaving him as the only one left standing.

The gray and silver blur skidded to a halt, materializing into a man with spiky hair and a cocky smile that the criminal leader had learned to hate a long time ago. "Ten years in the pen, and you're still a loser, Sokolov," Douglas said, his arms crossed.

"You've got some nerve showing up again," Donald seethed as he walked in, his fist still balled from bringing down the large, reinforced steel doors. "Last I remembered, I gave you a strong warning against coming anywhere near my son."

Sokolov took a few steps back, but only to give himself more room. He raised the remote defiantly, and then he pressed down hard on it. Nothing happened. He clicked on it again a few more times. Still, nothing.

"What's that supposed to be, a…remote for shutting down our bionics?" Douglas mocked.

"I don't…" the mob leader said, aghast. "He said it will work."

A scorching flare suddenly collided with the device. Sokolov screamed, letting go of the control on fire.

"Now it won't." The four men turned to the source of the voice, and there they found Tasha crossing her arms, scornfully staring at Sokolov.

Douglas winced teasingly at him as his sister-in-law and teammate came closer. Donald, meanwhile, only turned his eyes back to their enemy.

As the three stood before him, all garbed in those darker mission suits, Sokolov was forced to admit the possibility of a second defeat in their hands.

"It's over, Ras," Donald said. "You should have run the other direction when you escaped from prison."

"So, how about untying the kid now?" Douglas added.

Leo watched with pride as he saw all hope in the mob leader's eyes sink into oblivion. However, before he could begin thinking that everything had gone perfectly well, he noticed a shadow from behind his parents and uncle stagger to its feet. Staring at it, he saw that it was one of Sokolov's men—and he was gripping a syringe with the red liquid. _Watch out!,_ he tried to yell, but only his muffled shouts came through.

It was enough to alert the three. Tasha moved out of the way just as the syringe was coming down towards her. Afterwards, Douglas tackled the man, and the brunt contact knocked him out.

However, the distraction availed Sokolov the chance he needed. In an attempt to take their attention away from him, he stuck the syringe in his hostage's neck and emptied its contents halfway before jetting.

"Leo!"

Tasha held a hand out, forming a force field to block Sokolov's path to the exit.

Leo didn't know what happened next. His neck was burning, and the warehouse was spinning out of control. He was aware of someone pulling out the syringe then loosening his binds. He was lowered down to the floor, he guessed, probably by his father and uncle. In a frame of the ever rotating images in front of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of his mother, worry in her features.

"Leo. Leo, can you hear me?"

 _Yes,_ he wanted to tell his mother even if her words were coming in like echoes in a tunnel. "I feel…I feel sick," he said instead as disorientation turned his stomach.

"Alright, bud. We're taking you home now," his father told him.

Everything blended into a blur. However, even if he was losing grip with what was around him, Leo was confident that the next time he opened his eyes, he would be safe and back where he should be.

Because even if falling in love was embarrassing, and being held hostage for the nth time in his life was humiliating, having the strongest man and the smartest woman on the planet as his parents, the fastest man in the world as his uncle, and all three as the people he could count on definitely was not.

* * *

 _Additional details of this AU: (1)As hinted, Leo is Donald and Tasha's only child. Donald adopted him when he was born, after he and Tasha got married; (2) Donald, Douglas, and Tasha had all been bionic since childhood; (3)Leo isn't bionic; (4) This universe have a number of superheroes known, each of which have their own respective villains or bad guys to keep in check; (5)The red liquid was just a drug meant to stun Donald, Tasha, and/or Douglas. The effects are magnified on someone who doesn't have increased metabolism like them, but Leo should live._

 _As always, reviews and constructive crits are appreciated. :)_


	2. Past, Present & How to Build a Home

_Wow! Thank you so much to LRW, ShadowDragon1553, EmeraldTulip, Bye Felicia, and AlienGhostWizard14 for your comments and interest in this story! Was not expecting it!_

 _Okay, so as you can probably tell, this is not a one-shot anymore. More ideas came, so now it's gonna have more chapters than intended._

 _A few things before we start. First, take note of the year Leo was born. It establishes the setting of this universe a little better. Second, take everything you know about the Davenport mansion - the rooms, the layout, the location, etc. You have it? Good. Now throw all of it away and imagine a beautiful, modern house that befits a billionaire. Construct one in your mind, and whatever you come up with, that will be Donald, Tasha, and Leo's house._

 _Lastly, as noted in the revised summary, this AU will crossover with multiple other fandoms. Before a chapter begins, it will be noted which fandom will be included, if any. This one happens to have a character from_ _ **NCIS.**_ _If you've seen the show before, you'll know which one. If you haven't, don't worry; knowing her is not really necessary. This AU version of her was featured in a fic I wrote ages ago, where she and a number of others are also superheroes._

 _Apologies for the long intro. Hope you guys enjoy this one!_

* * *

 _Past, Present, and How to Build a Home_

* * *

When Leo Alexander Davenport was born on March 24, 2144, one thing was for certain: he was going to be spoiled. Although he was far from being the first child born to superhero parents, being the son and nephew of the team who had made much contribution to saving the world and eventually its acceptance of superpowered individuals gained him importance. The hospital room was usually crowded on his first day with well-wishers and close friends, the majority being either superheroes or high officials in government agencies of some countries.

It was a general consensus that the baby boy was adorable, and though it wasn't said it was clear that his protection had become a priority not only for Donald, Tasha, and Douglas but also for their friends.

As the months went by, the affection his parents and his uncle had for him only increased. Even now, as Donald held the five month-old, making what had got to be the silliest of faces to make him laugh, his love for him as his father was only getting stronger. Donald really wouldn't have thought that things would turn out this way for him and Tasha. When they were young, the three of them were told that because of the system installed in their bodies, it would be impossible for them to have children.

Not that they wished to have any at the time. They had only known horrible lives due to the scientists that imprisoned them. They didn't want any of their kids to be subjected to that.

However, years afterwards, after they were rescued and sent to families that loved them, things did get better. They gradually began to entertain the idea of starting anew and maybe one day getting married. Having no children was not such a problem. Actually, to Donald, all that mattered was being happy with the girl he had fallen in love when he met her again when they were teenagers. Douglas teased him to no end about his crush on Tasha, but he was positive that his younger brother quite liked the idea of his very close friend and big brother ending up together.

Then, after the biggest mission of their lives, Tasha went off the grid to take a break from the admittedly rattling ordeal. She was gone for years. When she came back, Donald found out that she had married someone.

It broke his heart in an unspeakable way, but he pretended to be unaffected by it. She was happy, and though she was with another man, he was glad for her.

He was working through these conflicting emotions when things turned for the worse for Tasha. Her husband left her. She preferred that, though, especially after she found out that he wasn't the man she thought he was. He wasn't Henry Jones, an unassuming, clumsy police officer who had lived in Florida his whole life. He was someone…horrifying.

He had fooled her into falling for him, and after he had vanished when she discovered the truth about him she was left disgraced and hopeless.

 _What am I gonna do, Donald?_ Tasha had cried to him a month afterwards. _What are people gonna say when they hear about this? I'm supposed to be one of the smartest humans in existence. How could I have been so stupid?_

He looked at her sympathetically, hating what that man had reduced her to. _It wasn't your fault,_ he had consoled. _He tricked you. There was no way you could have known. Tasha, don't be so hard on yourself. You can just start over._ He smiled a small smile then joked, _Look at the bright side. Legally, you're single again. Being single is fun, right?_

Tasha sniffled. She hesitated for a moment before looking him in the eyes. Her lips quivered as more tears came to her eyes. _I'm pregnant,_ she had said, her voice barely above a whisper. _I don't know how this is possible, but I am. I wanna keep the baby, but…how can I do this alone? What if he comes back to take him or her away from me? I can't do it on my own. And, how can I explain to my child what happened to their father?_ What _their father is? How would they understand? And the agency – what if they take my kid away from me? This…this is not what I wanted._

It saddened Donald to watch her break down in tears. He was so used to seeing her being strong and taking charge of any situation. Yet, at that moment, she was left feeling weak and helpless.

It kicked up something within him, something audacious and rather bold. He wanted to see her happy, and he was going to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. _Then marry me,_ he had said.

Tasha stopped crying. _What?_

 _I said marry me._ He took a deep breath before explaining, _I don't want to be alone either. Tasha, I can take care of you, you and your baby. The three of us can be a family. I can protect you, too._

 _Donald…_

 _No, I know this is a bad time to bring this up, so don't give me an answer yet. Just take your time and think about it,_ he said. Then, sincerely, he noted, _How I feel about you has not changed. I still love you. All I want is to see you happy, even if you decide that that means not being with me. But, if you could, just give me a chance. Please._

Donald doubted that Tasha entertained his proposal at first, and the more he thought about it after their conversation the more he felt foolish. But then, a week after, Tasha came up to him again, tears absent from her eyes that time. _What if I never love you back the same way you love me?,_ she had asked sincerely. _I don't want you to live the rest of your life with a woman that can't return your feelings. You don't deserve that._

Her honesty surprised him initially. However, after pondering over it, he responded, _If we can remain really good friends throughout, I'll be okay with that. As long as the two of you are with me, it'll be fine._

Tasha took a moment to process it. Then, she smiled at him.

It was a somewhat chaotic wedding. Since both of them allowed a few months to pass, dating throughout that time so they could get a chance to really know each other better, Tasha was eight months pregnant on their big day. It was meant to be a small occasion, but a friend's loose lips had caused the attendance of many acquaintances. It was rather stressful, but it was a joyous event nonetheless.

Not long after that, their son was born.

Even up to now, Donald believed he had stayed true to his promise. He had done his best to love Tasha and Leo. Not that it was hard: Tasha, contrary to what she had been afraid of, had been generous in reciprocating his affection; and Leo had been a constant source of joy for him. The boy loved him very much, and he knew.

As he playfully lifted his son up while they relaxed on the couch, he heard two sets of footsteps cross the living room. "Honey, please don't toss him," Tasha said as she stood by the door with her best friend, Kate.

"I'm not tossing him," Donald said with a grin as the five month old let out a high-pitched laugh. He looked at his wife after sitting his son on his knees then said patiently, "I know, babe. You told me don't do it because you don't want him flying high up in the sky. I listened to you."

Tasha smirked. "Not only that, but I also just fed him. He might throw up on you," she said. Upon seeing her husband frown at their son, she chuckled. "You think you can manage?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Of course," Donald said as he watched the little boy nibble on his own fist, covering it with slobber. He smiled at her. "Just have a great time with your friends."

"Okay," Tasha said. She hesitated a little and took a long glance at her son, but in the end she chose to go. "Bye, baby."

"Bye. Have fun," Donald told her. To their mutual friend, he said, "Bye, Kate. Thanks for picking Tasha up."

Kate smiled. "Of course. See you later, Donald." She closed the door behind her. Soon after, both women were gone.

Donald turned his attention back to his son. "It's just the two of us left, buddy," he told him. "That's okay, though. Daddy's still here with you. You wanna come with me to my office to help me finish some paperwork? Hm? Does that sound good?"

The five month-old found the hem of his father's shirt more interesting, but he seemed to have no qualms about that plan.

Donald chuckled. It still floored him to think of the future he had now. It was far from how he thought it would be when he was younger. He was respected, a hero to the world around him, a husband with a beautiful, smart, and kind wife, and a father to a very happy child.

 _You're worthless. You'll never become anything. No one cares about you._

The smile on Donald's face vanished as that voice from the past rang inside his head. Those words were difficult to get rid of because Dr. Fox, one of the scientists that dealt with them when they were younger, said those to them so many times that they had engraved themselves into his, Douglas', and Tasha's memories.

Worthless, useless, and unloved. Even after all the hard work of his and Douglas' adoptive parents to get them to ignore those sentiments, sometimes they would come up. At times he would believe them. Maybe that was why he would usually overcompensate. He had moments when he would try to replace self-deprecation with egotistic thoughts. He didn't mean to be overconfident, but it was the only solution he could find to overcome those negative lies.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Leo stared at him, nibbling on his other fist carefully, watching how his father was going to combat the nightmarish thoughts.

A shadow of a smile pulled on Donald's lips. He pulled the little boy up to his feet, and then, looking him in the eye he told him, just like he had many times since he was born, "You're worth many things. You will become something. Many people care about you." He took his son into his arm in a warm embrace. "Daddy and Mommy love you very much, Leo," he told him before kissing him on his chubby cheeks.

Little, slobbery hands reached up to his face, and Donald knew it was his son's way of showing him affection, letting him know that he loved him, too.

The front door swung open then, and it sent Donald on alert. However, seeing that it was only his little brother, he fell back at ease. "You know, we installed a doorbell for a reason," he said as Douglas raided the fridge.

"Hm, desperate times," Douglas muttered as he took out a few containers. "I'm starving."

Donald grinned. "Do you ever not eat?"

"Try running at the speed of sound every day. You'll understand." Douglas was already in the middle of eating when he finally noticed his nephew. He grinned when he saw the little boy watching him with interest. "Hey! I didn't know you were up, little man!" he said as he made his way to them. Taking the five month-old from his brother, he cooed, "Hey, buddy. How are you doing?"

Donald frowned as his younger brother embraced the baby. "Oh, uh, Douglas – you may want to be careful with—" But Leo had already thrown up before he could finish his warning. Donald was inclined to apologize, but a grin came to his face instead. "You know, this reminds me of your party when you graduated college," he said as his brother looked down at his spit-covered arm with disgust.

Douglas glared at him. "Yeah. You threw up on me, too. Mom told you to quit drinking Dad's stuff, and you didn't listen," he said. Frowning at his nephew, he said, "You really are your father's son, aren't you?" He huffed but took the child with him to the kitchen anyways to clean up the mess.

Donald chuckled. His son's life was definitely going to be interesting with a family like them around, that he was sure of.

* * *

 _Reviews are always appreciated._


	3. Spunts & How to Fail First Day

_Thank you to ShadowDragon1553, Mickey12Boo, LRW, and AlienGhostWizard14 for your reviews! My apologies for the lack of response this week. It's been pretty hectic._

 _Anyways, as mentioned last chapter, just wanna let you guys know that this chapter crosses over again with_ _ **NCIS,**_ _at least the universe the Dare City Chronicles story an old story of mine is set in. Knowledge of these two characters are not necessary._

 _This chapter came from ShadowDragon1553's prompt. The idea was tweaked a little, but I was given permission._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _"Spunts" and How To Fail Your First Day at School_

* * *

If he was to be asked to name his favorite events in the year, Leo would definitely pick the T.I.D.A.L Convention (The International Defenders and Liaisons Convention) as one of them. For his parents and his uncle, it meant a series of high-profile, top security meetings with representatives from different governments regarding what needed to be addressed as far as the safety of many people around the world. For him, it meant seeing three of his closest friends and spending time with them for that whole week. The convention locations varied every year, and because of this he had gotten a chance to see different places around the globe.

This year, however, the chosen convention site was somewhere in or at least close to California.

The thought of seeing his friends already thrilled him very much. When he found out that his parents had offered their families lodging for the week and that he'd get to be with his best friends, he nearly passed out in joy.

Bree was the first to arrive with her parents early Saturday morning. Her parents, superheroes Blackout and Quantum, or Uncle Tony and Aunt Kate as Leo called them whenever it was safe, were eager to leave Dare City and spend the weekend where it was sunny and a bit more cheerful. It had been a long week at the agency, so they talked their old friends Donald and Tasha to get some drinks later that day.

Bree was also happy to be there, but because the sixteen year-old had been bored. She said she needed a change of scenery and to see other teenagers like her to whom she could speak about the pitfalls of being indirectly involved with the hero world with freely.

Leo had no problem with that. After their parents went out for lunch, he and Bree settled down on the couch to binge on the few new episodes of their favorite show, talking while also entertaining themselves with Bree's Bischon Frise puppy, Bear.

Adam, Chase, and their parents arrived the next day, Sunday, around lunchtime. Their father, a non-gifted but still terrifically intelligent and highly valued agent in the agency, had to come to work early the day prior to finish up some paperwork. That was why they flew in later and came somewhat late. He apologized for the inconvenience he thought he had caused everybody.

His wife, who was mostly known as the superhero Starlight, assured her husband that he didn't have to feel so bad about it, and everyone present agreed.

"Oh, come on, Henderson, lighten up!" Donald said. "It's not inconvenient. Come on. Get something to eat. You're probably just tired from the flight."

"Or from work," Tony commented. "Things had been insane in the Tri-State area this week."

"You, Charlotte, and the boys can just leave your bags there for a minute. It can wait until after you've had lunch," Tasha said.

"Ooh, don't mind if I do," Adam said, his feet already taking him to the opened boxes of pizza laid out on the counter.

That night ended up being incredibly enjoyable to everyone. Seeing family and friends (the difference between both had long been blurred by the years, really) had been very exciting. For the adults, it certainly made up for the boring and predictably tedious days coming.

As for the four, the thrill didn't wear off—at least for the next two days. After they have had their fill of touring the city, supervised by one of Donald's assistants, boredom easily settled in. "You know, not that your hometown is not exciting or anything, but I kinda wanna do something else," Adam told Leo as they walked along a strip mall.

The thirteen year-old frowned. "You wanna do water jet packing? I'm sure Mom and Dad would be okay with us going," he suggested.

"Well, that sounds fun, but I meant something else we haven't done before," Adam said, scratching the back of his head.

"Like what?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. Something that normal kids around here do."

"You mean besides hanging out?"

"Yes."

To help out, Chase explained, "I'm sure you've noticed a long time ago that most children of defenders or agents, or both, don't live normal lives. The higher in rank our parents go, the more we have to stay where it's safe. It's kinda annoying sometimes, and that's coming from a guy who actually doesn't mind staying at home."

"Yeah," Bree agreed. "I wanna make more friends. There's nothing wrong with you guys! I mean, I like hanging out and all, but it would be nice to have a friend outside our little circle. I'm sure there are people out there who wouldn't turn out to be bad guys."

"I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea to do something very risky," Leo said. "If the four of us are caught by a supervillain, they might be clued into the, um, _meeting_ that's happening. Not only will it put us in danger, but our parents could get in trouble, too."

Adam sighed. Meanwhile, Bree only looked away, knowing he was right.

Chase clicked his tongue. "I know," he conceded.

"Well, if we do get caught by anyone, maybe they wouldn't know about our parents," Bree offered. "We do spend a lot of time away from the public. I doubt anyone really know of us. Plus, wouldn't there be some sort of protection for us to conceal our identities? If our parents know that we're in danger of getting taken or whatever, I'm sure the agency and the government does, too."

"That's true," Adam agreed thoughtfully. "And not only that, none of us have powers. I doubt anyone could figure out about our inheritance."

Chase's brows furrowed, just like Bree's and Leo's had. "Heritage, Adam," he corrected his older brother.

Adam shrugged. "Potato, po-tah-to."

Leo thought about the arguments presented before him. "I don't know," he said, looking at them. "We could get in serious trouble for this." However, he couldn't deny that doing something out of the usual sounded so appealing. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad if they were careful? It wasn't as if their intention was to call attention to themselves. Surely a quick trip somewhere or spending a short time on a new activity wouldn't end in a disaster.

Decisively, he said, "Okay. I've got a proposition. _But_ – we can't spend more than four hours where we're going."

"Where _are_ we going?" Chase asked.

"School." Leo quieted them down after they reacted in excitement. Glancing at his father's assistant, whose attention seemed to have been piqued by the yelps of joy, he said in a low voice, "I know of someone who can get us in. I can give her a call tonight and see if she can help us out. Maybe she can arrange something so we can sit in a few classes and have lunch times like the other kids."

"Wait. She?" Adam repeated. "Who is 'she'?"

Leo smirked at that.

Adam, Bree, and Chase met his contact two days later. After successfully leaving home without their 'babysitter,' the four of them were able to walk into the halls of Ralston Tech, a prestigious high school a distance away from Leo's home. "Guys, this is Taylor," Leo introduced the girl that welcomed them at the doors. "Taylor, this is Bree, Adam, and Chase."

"Hey, nice to meet you," Taylor said amiably as she shook their hands one by one.

"Likewise," Bree said, thrilled to meet a potential new friend.

Chase smiled in agreement.

Adam, on the other hand, was smitten.

"And this is…" Leo narrowed his eyes at the boy who stood by Taylor's side. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Oh! I'm Logan. I'm one of Taylor's friends," he introduced himself.

"Oh, okay. This is Logan, then," Leo said with a smile.

"How do you and Taylor know each other?" Bree asked Leo.

Leo and Taylor exchanged glances. "Through our dads," Taylor answered after both of them chuckled. "Mr. Davenport had conducted business with my dad before. Mom had invited him, Mrs. Davenport, and Leo over dinner after they closed a deal. The rest is history."

"Oh, okay."

"So, I know the routine: don't ask questions you won't get an answer to, so I won't," Taylor said. As she handed them sheets of paper, she said, "Leo said you're only staying until after lunch, so I've got your schedules written out here. We've got exchange students that just came in this week, so you don't have to worry about the hall monitors being suspicious of you. Either Logan or I will be with you on some of these classes. On a few of them, you're on your own. Chase – it's Chase, right? – you and Leo have AP World Government. Don't worry, the class is not too hard. All you have to do is sit in the very back, bring these books with you, and do the reading assignment Mr. Quinn has written on the board. He's barely been paying attention to whoever's in his class lately."

"Why?"

Taylor smiled sadly. "He'd been sick. We think he's been doing overtime to pay off his hospital bills," she said.

"Oh. That's sad," Bree said.

"I know. That's why we've been planning on throwing him a surprise welcome back party. We're doing it today at lunch," Taylor said with a grin. "We have cake and lots of food. You guys are welcome to come if you want."

The four lit up at that. "Yeah. Of course!" Chase said.

"Cool. Now, Adam, Bree, you have Geometry with Ms. Oswald. I was told that a sub had been standing in for her. The guy rarely checks the attendance, just hands out the activity sheets and talks on the phone. Check first if it's still him today or if Ms. Oswald is back. If she is, just go to the library and pretend you're doing homework or something. The librarian's really nice."

"Yeah. Just don't be troublemakers. She'll be cool with you," Logan added.

"Any questions?" Taylor asked.

"Do I have any classes with you?" Adam blurted out. As the group stared at him, he nervously reasoned, "I just wanted to ask. I get lost very easily, and it'd be nice to have someone who knows the place show us around."

The bell rang. "Bree, Chase, you're with me," Taylor said, turning around and leading the way as the two teens walked up to her. However, as they turned the corner, she took a quick, suspicious glance at Adam.

"Just blew my chances, didn't I?" Adam muttered.

"Taylor's a tough one," Logan said. "Just don't do anything dumb or annoying. She's not very patient."

Adam sighed. The sliver of hope he was holding onto just had to be blown out.

Leo patted his shoulder. "Come on, big guy. We got classes to go to," he said.

Besides Adam's less than successful attempt at expressing his interest in Taylor, everything went well. Their nervousness of getting in trouble went away as the classes rolled along. By fourth period, they were all enjoying their school day and wished it didn't have to end so soon.

As Taylor had mentioned, the welcome back party for the history teacher took place at lunch. Besides Mr. Quinn, it was only Taylor, Logan, the four of them, and three other students in attendance for the private event. The elderly teacher was sincerely touched by the warm gesture of his students, and as they urged him to ease up on work and take care of himself more he was moved to tears.

"So where do you guys live?" Kate asked as they ate in small groups a quarter of an hour later.

Lexi took a bite out of her pizza before saying, "Yeah. I don't think we've seen you before."

"Oh, we're just visiting," Leo responded expertly with a smile.

"Exchange students?" Lexi asked.

"I guess you could say that."

"Okay. Coolness."

"What do you think of Ralston Tech?" Kate asked.

"It's really nice," Chase said with a nod. "It's definitely something we haven't seen before." Both girls laughed, causing him to blush. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked out of embarrassment.

"No, no! We just…It's just funny because a lot of the new kids are saying this is a great place, and the rest of us who had been here for years don't really think so," Lexi said.

It startled Leo when his phone buzzed. _Where are you? Edward said he'd just checked on you guys, and there's no one home,_ said a text from his father. As he thought of what to say, another message came through. _Don't say you're in the lab because your mother and I have access to the security cameras there._

"What is it, Leo?" Bree asked.

A dismayed expression came to Leo's face. "Dad. He knows we're not home."

"Not home?" Kate repeated as Bree and Chase sighed. "Why would he be upset if you're not home? Doesn't he know you're at school?"

"It's a long story, but I think we have to go," Leo said as he slung his book bag over his shoulders, Bree and Chase unhappily doing the same.

"Hey – Leo. Where are you going?" Taylor asked from their group's table.

"We have to go. Dad's looking for me." With a glance at the people watching, Leo added, "We've gotta cut the school day short."

"Aw," Adam said with a frown.

"Well, there's only a few minutes left," Taylor said as she got up. "Why don't you finish eating what you have before you go? He should be okay with that, right?"

"Yeah. Just stay for a bit until lunch time is over," Logan said with a smile.

"Well," Leo said thoughtfully, "I guess we could—"

The sound of glass shattering stopped him short. Looking around for its source, Leo saw that the second window to the last had been smashed by something thrown forcefully at it.

Chase, however, saw what the object was. With widened eyes as the chrome, cylindrical object began to spin and emit smoke, he yelled, "It's a smoke grenade! Run! Everyone get out of here!"

Mr. Quinn and the students hurried to the door, the teacher allowing the children to go ahead of him and making sure all were accounted for. However, a loud explosion went off after Kate made her way out, and the release engulfed the room in a thick, gray fog that obscured most of their views. Cries of terror and the noise of objects falling down and slamming against each other filled the four corners of the classroom. The next few seconds were thick with sheer horror.

Fear only doubled as each of the windows was smashed in by four long metallic tentacles, at the end of which were steel clamps big enough to hold onto a person. They slinked adeptly around the smoke, each searching for their rightful targets. Then, they began taking.

Bree screamed as one attached to her. "Leo!" she yelled.

Leo futilely attempted to clear the smoke to find Bree. Turning around, the slight blue glow from the arm indicated her location. "Bree!"

"Leo! Leo, help…" But before she could finish it, a noxious gas emitted from the tentacle, and it knocked her unconscious before pulling her outside the building and into the hovercraft it was attached to.

"Bree!"

Meanwhile, as one crept towards Taylor, Adam thought quickly. He grabbed an overturned table and then held it in front of him as the arm began to strike, causing it to grab the object instead. Recognizing it wasn't its target, the metallic tentacle pulled then threw it against the wall. "Taylor, run!" he told her just as the hooks closed around him.

"No!" Chase yelled as the shadows showed his brother being taken away. Before he could turn around to look for Leo, one of the two remaining arms found him and attached to him. He tried to get it off but as the sleeping gas clouded from it, his will to get away was swallowed by obscurity.

"Chase!" Leo coughed as the smoke began to burn his throat. "Chase, where are you?"

"You have to come out of there!"

Leo looked around. The room sounded abandoned, but from the light flooding in at the opposite side he could see the door. Everyone else must have gotten out safely.

Then, he heard someone else coughing. "Mr. Quinn." Logan, and he was obviously in pain. "Anyone, help. Please, I can't…My ankle…"

 _He must've broken it._ Instinctively, Leo tried to locate him so he could assist him. "Logan? Where are you?" he called out.

"I'm right here. Leo, please. Please help."

It took a moment before Leo found him. When he did, he helped him up and then slung his arm onto his shoulder so he could walk to the door with him. "Take it easy, but let's try to make it out quickly," he told him quietly as the room became silent.

Logan nodded.

They advanced towards the exit where shadows of Mr. Quinn and a few alert staff members waited. Logan hopped, clenching his jaw to prevent himself from yelling in pain. Soon enough, the smoke began to dissipate as they drew away from where it was concentrated.

Leo was thinking of Adam, Bree, and Chase and calling for help when a subtle whirring from behind called to his attention. He looked back and saw the last tentacle prowling behind Logan. When its hooks clanked open, he pushed the other boy out of the way just as it sped forward to grab hold of him.

"No!" Though he had fallen to the floor, Logan grabbed onto Leo's arm as the tentacle began pulling him away. Mr. Quinn and two other staff members held onto him also.

"Call my dad!" Leo yelled when he saw Taylor at a distance. The metallic clamps tried to pull him away, but the people holding onto him anchored him down. He heard a hissing sound. "Taylor!" he called again, wincing in pain because of the two forces tugging on him. "Taylor! Call…" The world spun around him as the gas that was released took effect. It made him sick, and it drained his strength. Soon, emptiness began to take over.

The last thing he remembered was letting go of the hands that pulled him to safety and being tugged outside the room, hanging five floors above the blurry ground.

 **X**

"Welp, we're toast."

Oddly enough, their current situation wasn't something that was truly unexpected. The four of them stood on a collapsible metal platform, the circle serving as a top to a cylinder that, from the smell and feel of it, was covering a highly corrosive, gut-churningly sulfuric chemical mix. Their hands were tied above them as they stood back to back. None of them knew how long they had been there, but they hoped they wouldn't have to stay any longer.

"You're right. Oh, we're gonna die. I just know it. We're gonna die," Adam panicked, beads of sweat forming all over his forehead and neck as he continued to stare at the gap in the platform, watching as whatever was underneath bubble with heat.

"Would you calm down, Adam? We're still alive," Chase said, ignoring the overwhelming temperatures suffocating them. "And when I said we're toast, I meant Mom and Dad will kill us. They already told us not to do anything stupid, and yet here we are."

Bree shook her head, also as afraid as they were. "This is totally not a spunt move," she said.

Leo, who had been looking for ways to get out, frowned and asked, "Spunt move? What's a spunt move?"

"Spunt: superhero punt," Chase clarified. "Something that looks like a disadvantage but actually isn't. We thought going to school would be a good idea that would work out even if it looks like it wouldn't, but as Bree said…" Then, he looked down on the cylinder they were hanging above of. "We really should've thought this through."

Leo couldn't have agreed more. Being punished by angry parents was bad enough. Being punished by parents that have abilities they could get creative with was something more fearful. Instead of dwelling on that, however, he only said, "Maybe we can figure out a way of getting out of here on our own. Maybe they wouldn't get too mad if we escape."

The iron door to the second floor suddenly opened. A man in a chrome suit, his face mostly covered by a matching chrome helmet, stepped out, a sneer stretched across his lips. He stared at his hostages predatorily as dreams of his plans succeeding and what it would do for him multiplied in his mind. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my rides to riches," he said as he descended the stairs. "I see all of you are awake. Welcome to my humble abode."

To most people, the man in chrome would be a stranger. However, to those who were familiar with the world of the gifteds, he was someone who held a degree of notoriety. He was a mercenary that didn't pose much threat – given that he was working alone. The four teenagers knew enough, though, not to cross him due to his abilities. "Man of Mercury," Chase mumbled.

Man of Mercury paused. "How did you know who I am?" he inquired.

That he wouldn't know why meant that he may not know who they were, and that was good. To amend his best friend's mistake, Leo said, "Uh…Internet?" He grinned nervously.

The mercenary pondered over it for a moment. To their relief, he waved the curiosity away. "Superhero fans, I see," he said as he continued down the stairs. "If I were you, I wouldn't hope for any of them to come save you. What I would do, though, is hope that your parents had prepared for situations like this, because I'm about to wipe your families' bank accounts dry." He ambled towards the cylinder then stopped when he had a perfect view of his captives. He chuckled before saying, "I was sent to the school to get two targets but I figured, why not grab a few more? Rich kids' school, might as well make a few extra bucks on the side by taking two more. My employers wouldn't be too happy that I didn't get the kids they wanted, but it's not like they can do anything about it. They have to just wait."

"What do you mean you didn't get who they wanted?" Chase asked. "You weren't after us?"

"Let's see." Man of Mercury tapped the side of his helmet. "Logan Reynolds and Taylor Han," he said, tapping his helmet again. "Seeing that none of you fit the pictures sent to me, uh, _no_." Unaware of the looks of relief and surprise that came to his hostages' faces, he added, "It doesn't matter anyways. Like I said, rich kids' school. Now, children, if I were you, I would start preparing myself for our first call to your parents. Keep Daddy's contact information in mind so when Uncle Man comes back, everything will be smooth sailing. Understand?"

None of them responded.

Man of Mercury clapped his hand. "Good! Now, try to hold on tight…" The mercenary clicked on something on the arm of his suit, and the floor beneath the four swung down. They screamed as they hung on the ropes for dear life. He grinned. "Perfect! Scared children lead to parents agreeing to my terms. I'll be right back," he said and then disappeared into the iron door leading into the first floor of the building.

Once he was gone, Leo agonizingly said, "Guys…I can't hold much longer…My wrists are slipping through the ropes!"

"Hold on, Leo. Just…" Chase twisted his hands to get a better grip on the rope he was hanging from. "Just keep your hands on the knot."

"What are we gonna do?" Adam asked, and it was obvious from his tone that he, too, was working hard against the gravity that was pulling them down. "When – when he comes back he's gonna want to know who to call. What will we say?"

There was no response as the other three focused on their grip. The putrid smell rising from beneath them was starting to get through to their lungs, searing them. The heat, now greatly increased, made the situation all the more unbearable. Chase, though choking on the fumes, was going to respond to his brother when his slight turning caused one of his shoes to fall off. It sizzled when it made contact with the lava-like substance, and they watched as the chemical slowly turn it black before swallowing it.

"Oh, we're gonna die!" Adam yelled in fear. "I knew it! We're gonna die!"

"Adam, stop!" Leo said, annoyed.

"Uh, guys…" Bree said, notably afraid. "Guys, what's happening? No. No. No! Help! Guys, help me!"

Leo risked turning his head towards Bree and saw what scared her so. She was slowly slipping from her rope—but it wasn't because it was loose. It was as if her wrists were sliding through the solid object, as if she was… "Intangible," he muttered. So Bree could hear him over her own screaming, he shouted, "Bree, let it! Keep going!"

"Keep going?! Do you want me to _die_?" she yelled as she struggled to maintain her hold.

"Leo, what's happening?" Chase asked, alarmed.

"I'm not sure. I think Bree's—"

"Aah!" The three watched in horror as the teenaged girl fell from her rope and straight to the vat of chemical. However, unlike Chase's shoe, she went through the sludge quickly as if it consumed her whole.

"Bree!" Adam shouted.

The iron door swung open again, followed by Man of Mercury's ticked off, "Oh, come on! Does your generation really not know when to _shut up_?" He walked out and behind him followed a glass tablet, rocking slightly as it hovered in the air. "I know I said I want you to be scared, but I don't need you howling out here like crazed dogs!"

"You're a murderer!" Adam shouted angrily. "You killed our friend!"

"Killed your friend?" The mercenary tilted his head as it finally registered what was wrong in the picture he was seeing. "Where's the girl," he muttered then began looking around for the teenager.

The sound of glass shattering startled the villain, causing him to duck. When he searched for what had caused it, he saw his glass tablet broken into pieces, the edges of some of the shards containing burn marks. His brows furrowed. "What in the world…" He started to reach for a piece when suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him, placing a foot above the broken tablet.

Man of Mercury slowly drew back when he saw who it was. "Quantum."

"Man of Mercury. I see you're still a lowlife," Quantum said. She looked up to search for her daughter and found the sons of her friends suspended above the massive cylinder instead. "Where's the girl?" she asked dangerously.

"I don't—"

A comet-like light burst into the room from the roof above, and when it touched the ground the mercenary saw that it was another familiar face-behind-a-mask. She glanced at the hostages, and the fire in her eyes was enough to instill fear in the villain – and both of her sons. "You've got some nerve, Edison," Starlight said as both she and Quantum advanced to corner their children's captor.

The iron door opened wider. Leo's heart squeezed both in relief and fear as his mother came in.

"No…" Man of Mercury breathed out in fear. "I don't—"

"A high school, Man of Mercury?" Tasha said. "Don't you know that's an act of terrorism?"

"I'm…" It was clear to him that there was no way out. He was trapped, and the three women appeared very angry for some reason. He looked at his hostages. What was it about them that made them so special that three of the world's top superheroes would come rescue them?

That gave him an idea for escape. He smirked. "You're right. It is," he said. Then, he clicked on a button on the arm of his suit, causing the ropes holding the boys to snap.

Quick to act, Tasha formed a force field under the three, preventing them from falling into the sea of toxic chemical. She carefully moved them to safety, but as she did Man of Mercury bumped into her as he made a break for it.

As the teenage boys and Tasha fell on the floor ungraciously, Starlight, her blood now boiling in rage, formed a light sphere in her hand before she and Quantum took off in pursuit.

However, the duo skidded into a halt when an unusual sight welcomed them inside. The upper left side of Man of Mercury's torso, from his left shoulder down to his rib cage, seemed to have merged somewhere within the concrete wall lining the wide hall. He was struggling to get out, his head tilted in a weird angle to the right due to the left side of his jaw being pressed tightly against the cement, but he was finding no success.

Starlight frowned as the light in her hand dissipated to nothing. She turned towards Quantum, and she looked just as puzzled.

Soon enough, the answer to the conundrum came when Bree came in through the wall to check her handiwork. Satisfied, she smirked, but it vanished soon enough when she spun around and saw her mother looking at her with a quirked brow. "Oh, I – um…" she stuttered as her mother crossed her arms. She scratched her head as it bowed low.

She, just like Adam, Chase, and Leo, knew exactly how much trouble they were in for now.

 **X**

"Adam Charles Henderson, you are in _big_ trouble, young man!"

"Chase Adrian Henderson, your mother and I are very disappointed in you."

"Aubriana Katerina DiNozzo, you are _grounded_ for a month."

"Leo Alexander Davenport. I thought your father and I taught you better than that."

The tone of their parents' voices, ranging from highly upset to very disappointed, wasn't the first thing that clued them in to the seriousness of what they had done. It was the presence of the middle names. Those awful things were rarely spoken unless the situation called for it. What they had done that day had definitely invoked it.

The good news was that, after a thorough assessment, the committee of the convention determined that Man of Mercury's actions were not charged with a motive to bring harm upon any of the defenders and agents attending the convention by luring them out with the children. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his hostages were kids of superheroes. He was really just in it for the money, and in his greed he neglected to consider the effects his thoughtless actions would bring upon him.

The convention was safe to continue, and there was nothing any of the attendees had to worry about.

The bad news was that like Man of Mercury, Adam, Chase, Bree and Leo were also in line for punishments. The verdicts they received would not be in effect until after the convention was over and they had gone back to their respective homes, but the dread of waiting for those put a drab on the last few days of (somewhat) freedom that they had. Being stuck inside the house with next to nothing to do made them really realize how good they had it before they made that poor decision to sneak out to school.

They didn't really regret it, though. The night before the two visiting families left, Taylor and Logan came with their parents to thank the teenagers that saved them. Taylor still didn't address the crush Adam had on her, but she did smile at him more, thanking him for putting himself in harm's way to keep her safe. Logan, who was sporting a crutch but was nonetheless feeling better, also thanked Leo for what he did for him.

Though still in trouble with their parents, Adam, Chase and Bree left happy, knowing that they had made friends and had done what was right just like their fathers and mothers did every day.

Leo felt the same. He may not have walked away from that day with a newfound ability like Bree (she would tell him a week later that her father was secretly teaching her how to get better at it), and he may not really have had a mind-blowingly great time like Adam and Chase seemed to have had, but it was okay. Though he doubted he would have the prospect of becoming a superhero one day, at least he knew what it felt like to be able to help someone.

That, to him, was one of the best experiences ever.

* * *

 _Next chapter is another crossover, but it's only one character coming in this time. You'll know who he is. After all, he hails from another Disney XD show._

 _Reviews, though not required, are appreciated._


	4. Bad Boys & How to Make A Choice

_Thank you to the following who had left me a review last chapter: AlienGhostWizard14, EmeraldTulip, LRW, and Mickey12Boo! Thank you!_

 _Okay, as mentioned, this chapter crosses over with another Disney XD show, but I'm keeping what it is under wraps for now. Just to make it clear, though, in this chapter, Leo is just three years old. We're skipping around time throughout this story._

 _It's a story first! Leo's not the main character. ;) Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 _Bad Boys and How to Make A Choice_

* * *

"Look at him, Douglas. He's just three. He has nowhere to go. He doesn't have anybody."

Douglas peered into the guest room where the little boy slept. His wife had done well in taking care of the 'tiny brunet person,' as she once called him. Then again, the child, despite who his parent was, was surprisingly well-trained and was easy to get along with.

Unlike Janice, he wasn't very inclined to provide a permanent home for the boy that they were fostering, for many reasons. But, he did feel bad for him.

It had all began nearly a month ago when a manhunt for one of the remaining Class X villains was issued. The woman, with the name Bridget Connelly, had escaped the trap set to contain her. She left many injured, and the council had decided that they have had enough of her selfish and greedy actions. They issued a notice to all active defenders and agents to locate and arrest her, and at the forefront of that movement Donald, Tasha and Douglas were set.

The search was intense, and it only gained more steam when they found out that Bridget had been out looking for a very potent energy source that would only increase her already existing abilities exponentially. The person the tip came from said that that source would be dangerous, not only for them but for her, too.

An intelligent agent from Onyx Coast had come up with a way to find her. Using the supervillain's mutated and thus unique biological signature, they pinpointed her location at a cave on Easton-Meadow Park, not too far by speed from where the Davenports lived.

When they got there, a few agents and two other defenders were already present, waiting for the three of them before proceeding. They were cautious in acting on their plan despite the silence. They figured that the woman could be lying in wait for them to ambush them.

At the innermost area of the cave, they found the energy source. The irradiated cube was steadily losing its glow until soon, it had none. None of those present dared come close to it, for with the cube they also saw the truthfulness of what they were warned of: the energy source was lethal, and their target's attempt to hold on to it for too long had killed her.

Bridget's death was met with many opinions that night, but they were briefly stopped by a surprising discovery. As the agency transported her body out, Cyclone had come across a little boy wandering at the picnic area, seemingly lost and afraid. When asked where his parents were, all he did was say, "Mommy… I want Mommy."

Her maternal instincts taking over as the little boy began to cry, Tasha took him into her arms and told him it would be alright. "What's your name, honey?" she asked after he had calmed down a little.

The little boy sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "Ol'ver," he said.

Donald had smiled. "Oliver? That's a nice name," he said. "How old are you?"

The boy only continued to rub his eyes as he hiccupped sobs.

He stopped and looked, just like the others had, when the medical examiner and his assistants, in hazmat suits, wheeled out the glass containment case bearing the deceased. Douglas, Donald, Tasha, and the rest of those present only looked on, disappointed and dismayed that a person had met an untimely end due to poor choices.

The little boy, however, wriggled out of Tasha's arms when he saw the woman. "Mommy! Mommy!" he called, running towards the van where his mother was placed into.

Because of the toxicity the body could present, Douglas was quick to run after the boy. He picked him up and kept holding on even if the boy struggled violently against him. "No! Mommy! I want Mommy! No!" the boy had kept on saying as he tried to get away.

It was revealed later on that the little one was indeed the son of the late supervillain. It had come as a shock to many since Bridget seemed to have acquired her abilities three years ago. No one would have guessed that she had a child, much more so one that may have come into existence the same time she had gained her gifted status.

After some examination, it was determined that Oliver wasn't affected by the energy source. From the bits they had pieced together from his account, Bridget had come there after finding out the cube's location. She knew she was being hunted down, so, perhaps in an attempt to keep her child safe, she took him with her and left him sleeping in one of the picnic areas, not realizing that it would be the last time she would see her son.

As the investigation continued, the agency proposed that the boy be placed with Children Services for the meantime. However, Tasha couldn't find it in her heart to allow the motherless child to go to a place where he didn't know anyone, so, with her husband's consent, she volunteered to keep him for three days.

Because Oliver knew her and Donald, things went well for a while. Though withdrawn, they were able to get him to interact half of the time. Leo, though he was still learning how to share, too, brought out a few of his toys so he and the other three year-old could play.

But soon, the couple realized that providing shelter for the child could put them in a more difficult situation. "You have no idea how much I want him to stay," Tasha had told her sister and Douglas as they watched the boys play from a distance. "I even thought about discussing adoption with Donald. But, because of our issue with Leo…"

"You can't let him stay," Douglas had finished for her.

Tasha nodded, obviously saddened that there was nothing she and Donald could do.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to us about?" Janice asked. "You want us to look after him?"

"It's up to you," Tasha said, though she really, truly hoped they would think about it.

After a thorough conversation about that proposition, two days later, Douglas and Janice found themselves welcoming Oliver to their humbler home.

As they were told, the boy behaved well and was likeable. They still had to contend with moments of him throwing tantrums whenever he wanted to see his mother, but for the most part they didn't have any problems. He spent a lot of time with Janice, who seemed to fawn over him, and he did his best to listen to her. The three year-old was aloof towards Douglas, but it was only because he could sense that the man wasn't too keen on having him around.

The speedster seemed terrified of him. He stayed in the back most of the time, and Oliver had interpreted it as the adult not liking him.

Douglas, for his part, did try to disprove that several times. In the afternoons, when he didn't have to work on anything, he would play with the boy in the backyard. One time, when he had a report to write, he gave the boy a pen and some paper to write on so he could feel like he was writing a report, too.

Tonight, after they had dinner and the boy was ready for bed, he made his first attempt on tucking in a child into bed and reading him a bedtime story. It was less than stellar, Douglas felt, but the little one had been so taken by the tales of the courageous red fire truck saving people across town that it seemed like he had succeeded big time.

His wife had met him outside the guest room after the boy had fallen asleep, and soon enough she brought out the dim reality that the child had now: he had no home, and he had no one to raise him. "I know" was all he could say as he looked at him from afar.

Janice hesitated for a moment. Then, she said, "I know we said we'd be okay without kids. You've explained to me the situation because of the bionics, I'm fine with that, and we've been married for five years with no problem on that topic. But, I don't think I can bear just standing by, doing nothing for him when I can actually do something."

"What are you trying to say, Janice?"

Janice shrugged. "I'm saying I want him to stay with us," she said. When he looked away out of uneasiness, she said, "I know. This is too big of a responsibility. I'm talking about raising a child. But Douglas, I don't want him out there in the system. He just lost his only family."

"The services will find good parents to raise him."

"We don't know that," Janice said. "All I can think about when I look at him is the stories you've told me, the stories Tasha had told me, of when you were in that lab. I don't want him feeling unloved. He's such a sweet boy. He shouldn't be paying for what his mother did."

"You're making it seem like they're gonna lock him in and test on him."

"I know they won't, but – what would you have felt if Bill and Alice put you and Donald back in the system after taking you in? If we give Oliver back, he'd start thinking no one wants him. Then when he grows up and finds out what his mother had done, he might start thinking she left him because something's wrong with him. I don't want him thinking that."

Douglas sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose wearily. "You worry too much."

"How could I not?" Janice held onto his arm pleadingly before saying, "Baby, I know you have your reasons why you don't want him here with us. You're scared, but I'm scared, too. I've never thought of myself being a mom. Lately, though, I've been thinking that maybe this is an opportunity for me. I can't be like you. I can't save the world, I can't run as fast as the speed of sound. I can't make a big difference. But maybe with Oliver, I can. I can provide him with love. Having a family that loves him may change his life. That's a difference I could make with you."

"Janice…"

"I know I can't just make this decision. This marriage is not just about me. I don't want to force you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. I may not mind being a mother, but being a father is a heavy responsibility that would fall on you. So, whatever you decide, I would go with." Janice smiled a small, sad smile. "All I ask is that you consider this. Please."

And Douglas did. He laid in bed all night thinking about what his wife had said and the little boy sleeping soundly in the room two doors down. He took into consideration the good and the bad, what Janice would feel about which decision as well as how Oliver would feel. He considered how he felt about these things, too, and why he felt that way.

Sometime in between pondering over the safety of having a bigger family with his profession, he fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, the conclusion to the big question came to him: they could not keep the little boy. This weighed down on him as he got up, careful not to wake his wife, and walked over to the room where the three year-old was quietly playing with the toys they had bought for him. Watching him and thinking about how they may not see him again when he leaves that day with the people from Children Services bothered him so much.

However, Douglas knew it was the best decision. He had seen how anxious Donald and Tasha would get over keeping their only child safe. With the world getting worse by the second, they had a good reason to worry. Being defenders constantly attracted bigger dangers, too. He didn't want Oliver to be exposed to that. Plus, if the enemies Bridget had made figured out where and who he was, the child could end up getting seriously hurt.

Really, Oliver was safer out there. Even if his chances of ending up with a good family were not great, at least he was likely to stay alive and unhurt longer.

Noticing the presence of another person, Oliver looked up from where he sat on the carpet, but only briefly. Douglas took this as his permission to enter the room. He took a seat on the bed, and then smiled. "What'd you got there?" he asked.

"T'uck."

"Truck, wow. Is the truck taking the blocks to the city? Are you gonna build a building?"

Oliver nodded, not looking up from his work.

 _Such a smart kid,_ Douglas thought. The grin on his face diminished into a ghost of a smile. "Oliver? Do you know what day it is today?" he asked. Oliver didn't look up. "Oliver?" Nothing, but Douglas knew that the boy had an idea. Carefully, he transferred from the bed down to the floor, sitting a distance away from the three year-old. _I'm so sorry,_ he wanted to tell him but couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he said, "There's nothing wrong with you. You didn't do anything wrong, okay, buddy? This is just for the best."

"Bad boy."

Douglas stared. His brows lightly wrinkled.

"Bad boy."

"Bad boy?"

"'m a bad boy."

Douglas' frown deepened in concern. "Oliver? Who told you you're a bad boy?"

"Bad. Bad boy." The three year-old continued to stack more blocks on the truck. "Bad boy. Ol'ver. Bad boy."

 _You're worthless. You'll never become anything. No one cares about you._ As the words from his own childhood came back, Douglas was moved to demand who had ingrained such a horrid thought on a child's mind when a knock on the door caught his attention. "The guy from Children Services just texted," Janice said, his phone in her hand and sleep and sadness in her eyes. "He said he'll be here in an hour."

Though still stunned by what Oliver had told him, Douglas just nodded.

He thought about those words as Janice prepared the little boy for departure. As he was fed breakfast and dressed in clothes that they had gotten for him just the other day, Douglas began doubting his decision. Things became harder as Oliver became aware of what was really happening. He hid when they opened the front door, and when the familiar car pulled up and Janice began taking him outside the house, he began crying and screaming.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Davenport," the man from the Children Services greeted them with a smile. "I apologize for coming earlier than expected."

"Oh, it's…" Janice tried to smile, but she failed. "It's fine," she lied.

He gestured at the child, who was wailing his heart out as he held on tightly to Janice. "I see the little guy's making a lot of trouble early in the morning already," he commented. He chuckled, and the subtle disdainful look he shot towards the child didn't go unnoticed by Douglas. "Anyways, we thank you very much for hosting him. We really appreciate folks opening up their homes to little children like Oliver. We know it's not very easy."

Janice hugged the boy tightly, rocking him gently to soothe him. "Will you update us with what happens to him?" she asked.

"Absolutely. You can always give us a call, and we'll be more than happy to let you know."

Janice nodded, her heart breaking inside as she knew it was time to say goodbye. She gave the little boy a kiss on the forehead then forced a smile on her face for him. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she knew that that would make it harder for both of them, so she just handed the boy over to the man.

Oliver screamed louder, and torrents of tears began pouring from his eyes as he grabbed on to Janice's arm.

"C'mon, honey, let go," Janice pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper as his reaction tore her completely apart.

"C'mon, little guy," the man said, pretentiously patient as he carefully pulled on the three year-old.

Oliver wouldn't budge, but one strong tug from the Children's Services employee caused him to lose grip.

"I'm sorry," Janice whispered as tears glazed her eyes. She turned around so she wouldn't see him leave. "I'm really sorry."

Oblivious to Janice's reaction, the man only said as Oliver tried to squirm out of his arms, "That wasn't too bad, was it?" He nodded and smiled at the couple next, saying, "Thank you again, and we'll keep in touch," before walking back to his car. As he struggled to keep the child still, he muttered something under his breath that angered Douglas very much: "You're such a problem like your mother."

"What did you say?" Douglas demanded.

The rage in his voice caused the man to turn around, surprised and utterly clueless as to what had incurred it. "Sir?"

"I asked you what you had said," Douglas said clearly. "Did you just tell him that he's a problem like his mother?"

The confusion cleared from his face, and fear from being caught came in. "Uh—"

"What kind of a person are you to tell a child that?" Douglas marched up to him then took the three year-old from his grasp. As the man looked on helplessly and Oliver wrapped his little arms around his foster father, quaking with fear as he sobbed, Douglas said lividly, "Don't you _ever_ tell him that. You have _no_ right to do that to him."

"Mr. Davenport, I…" Knowing there was no use for excuses, he surrendered and said, "I'm sorry. It will not happen again."

"You're right it won't ever happen again! How can you even think about saying things like that to a three year-old?" the speedster barked. Fuming as he knew very well that the apology was not truly sincere, he said, "Leave. And don't even think for one moment that I'm gonna let you get out of here with him. I'm calling the services about him, and about you. Now go. I don't ever want to see you near him again."

Scolded, the man left as he was told.

As the car pulled out then drove away, Janice walked up to her husband, worried and admittedly surprised by his reaction.

Douglas took a deep breath once the car was out of sight. _Bad boy. Ol'ver. Bad boy._ He looked at the three year-old pityingly. "What if I can't be a good dad to him? I don't think I know how to be one," he asked.

Janice blinked, uncomprehending at first. Then, she said warmly and honestly, "Yes, you do. Bill had been a good father to you and Donald, so you know." Placing a hand on his shoulder, she added, "And I've seen the way you are with Leo. You love that little boy. And if you can be like that to him, I'm sure you can be like that to Oliver."

Douglas scoffed, smirking. "I spoil that little person too much."

Janice chuckled. "Well, maybe we'll hold back on the spoiling then," she said, "but you know what I mean. You know how to love and how to care. I haven't been a parent before either, but maybe both of us can start with those two things."

Douglas nodded, and he knew that from then on things would only get harder and more interesting.

As he had promised, he made a phone call to Children Services regarding Oliver's stay and the man that had been his caseworker. It was far from being the only one he made to a government agency regarding the boy, though. After reconsidering everything, factoring in whatever variable they could, he and his wife decided to adopt the three year-old. They were going to need to put in much hard work to raise him, but it was for the best—and Douglas knew it really was this time. Through the course of several months, he and Janice made calls, filled papers. Douglas had to pull some strings. The process took a lot, physically, mentally, and even emotionally, but it was all worth it.

Because two years later, after he turned five, Oliver officially joined the family and became a Davenport.

* * *

 _The next two chapters will be discussing Leo's father. Pretty pumped for you guys to read 'em!_

 _Reviews are not required, but they sure are appreciated greatly. :)_


	5. Missing Fathers & How to Find Them

_Thank you to EmeraldTulip, LRW, and Stardust16 for your kind reviews! Didn't get a chance to send you responses via PM, so we'll post it here:_

 ** _EmeraldTulip:_** _I know! I had so much fun writing baby!/toddler!Oliver. Quite honestly, you were one of the people who I knew would_ immediately _get who the boy is as soon as Bridget is mentioned. And yes, Douglas and Janice. I couldn't resist. *chuckles* (Side note: you know, the Douglas-Janice-Oliver chapter is one of my favorites, too!)_

 ** _LRW:_** _Thanks! And yeah, he was. As far as Kaz...I can't say for now. It's a little complicated. :/ But yes, Mighty Med!_

 ** _Stardust16:_** _Hi there! Welcome aboard! Thank you for giving it a try; I truly do appreciate it. And don't worry about chapter two. Full disclosure: I do it, too, but mostly on fics over at the Sherlock archives. (Don't tell them, though. *grins* )_

 _I may send these over to all of you later when this chapter is edited. :)_

 _Alright, this update comes with two chapter, both of which goes hand in hand. Please note that the POV remains the same in both. They're in third person and will not switch._

 _Other than that, please enjoy! If you notice any inconsistencies, please let me know._

* * *

 _Missing Fathers and How To Find Them_

* * *

"Mom, where's my dad?"

The question was first met with a chuckle followed by the answer: "The library."

However, when it was repeated a second time, the seriousness in the teenager's tone more evident as he changed it to "Where's my _biological_ dad?" the grin on Tasha's face disappeared. She only stared at her son, searching his eyes for the reason why he had asked that. Since he was born, he had only asked twice about his father, but it both stemmed from school projects that he was barely even interested in. To him, Donald Davenport was his father, period. Henry Jones was just some name in the past that was as good as a stranger's.

Now, though, his opinion seemed to have…shifted. The seventeen year-old seemed very upset about something, perhaps something that had to do with his real father.

That made Tasha nervous. She tried to come up with ways to divert the conversation, but all that came out was, "He's gone, Leo. I don't know where he is. I told you he left both of us when I was pregnant with you."

"I know, but…" He sighed, not wanting to cause more distress on his mother. "I feel like there's something that I still don't know."

"Why do you need to know about him? Are you not happy with me and Dad anymore?" she asked almost pleadingly.

"Mom, you know it's not that."

"Hey. What's going on?" The conversation reached a standstill as Donald came into the room. Neither of them spoke as he joined them at the kitchen island. When he asked if something was wrong, the mother and the child only exchanged glances. In the end, Leo acknowledged that the weight of answering rightfully fell on him.

For the third time, the question was asked again, but with a clearer reason accompanying it that time. "I was asking Mom where my dad is. It's not because I have any problem with our family. Or with you, Dad. It's just…I saw the report sent to you by the agency about Sokolov. I wasn't snooping around! I promise. It just came in when I was using your Linus Tab last week.

"I know he went missing days after he took me. I thought it was weird, so I tried to dig for more information. Not on you guys' files from the agency, of course, but online. I also called Chase and Bree to see if their parents knew anything about it. They said they didn't, but they promised to ask around. I didn't really expect to find much online, but I did see some older articles that talked about people who suddenly vanished. Bree got back with me at the same time and told me about the things she's heard when she visited the HQ at Dare City.

"Man of Mercury was being taken to the detention site when the transport was suddenly attacked. No one was seriously hurt, but he went missing, and he hadn't been heard from since. Si'li and his two clones were on the run when they suddenly fell off the grid. A guy managing a corner store was the last one to see them. They came in for a few things, he said, left, and then a moment later he heard them all screaming before they're gone. Sokolov was in prison. He went out for a walk one night, and he never came back. And it's not just the three of them that this has happened to.

"I know this is not a coincidence. There's a common string between these men and women and AIs: me. They've all either intentionally, unintentionally, on a few occasions even indirectly tried to hurt me, and it seems like they pay for it afterwards."

With much more concern, he added, "Many people are thinking that you two and Uncle Douglas have something to do with it. They're suspecting you. Now, I know you three wouldn't have done what they say you've done. You work so closely with the agency. You trust the system that's in place for villains. Plus, these things, people suddenly going missing? I know for a fact that this is not your handiwork. Good people wouldn't do this.

"That's why I've been thinking, if you three have nothing to do with this, is it possible that someone close to me or who knows of me do? The only one I can think of is my biological dad. I know you said, Mom, that he left before you found out you were going to have me, but is it possible that he did? That he knew? You also said that he was a police officer. Do you think he could have found out about these guys trying to hurt me and had gone after them because he, in some twisted way, wants me to know that he knows about me?"

Seeing the uneasiness in his parents' faces, he pleaded, "Mom, Dad, please. I just want to know the truth. Is it really because of me that these people went missing? Is – is it my dad? Is there something about him you're not telling me?"

Tasha hesitated as worries upon worries began to pile on her. The knowledge that her son was asking would come with a price, and she wasn't sure she wanted him paying for it. Not only that, but it might drastically change the way he viewed their family. They were all living happily and relatively quietly. She didn't want to sacrifice that good that belonged to him just for an answer.

Donald, knowing well her thoughts, only placed a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up at him, he smiled warmly. "I think it's time, Tasha," he said. "It's better that he knows so he'd be prepared."

Tasha pondered over it until she came to agree. Turning towards her son, she said, "Okay. I'll tell you about him. But you might lose your respect for me afterwards."

"That's not possible, Mom. You know how much I love you and Dad."

Donald smiled at that.

Tasha, however, did not. Though she appreciated her child's assurance, she decided to wait to accept it until she was finished unearthing a memory she had worked so hard to bury six feet under so many years ago. "I need you to know one thing before I start: you, Leo, are not a mistake. Out of all the things that happened between me and your birth father, you're the part that I never regretted. I need you to understand that, alright?"

Leo nodded, somewhat anxious. "Okay."

Tasha took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts together. Then, she spoke. "You asked where your father is. The truth is I don't know. Since he left, I've never heard from him, and I'm glad I haven't. You want to know more about him. The truth is, I can't give you any information because all that I thought he was was just a lie. His name is not Henry Jones. He's not from Florida, and he's not a police officer. Everything he told me was not true.

"But, even if I have next to no information about him, someone does: the agency. They barely have anything about him, too, but it's more than I know."

After a pause, she said, "In order for you to know your father, I need to teach you a classification system that the agency uses. To do that, we need to go back nearly a hundred years ago…"

* * *

 _to be continued._


	6. Public Enemies & How to Classify Them

_..._

* * *

 _Public Enemies and How to Classify Them_

* * *

A succession of accidents resulting from a meteor shower in 2066 caused a very significant change in Earth's inhabitants. Because the meteors damaged factories that handled toxic chemicals and unstable particles worldwide, the byproducts being distributed through water and air in a rapid rate, it affected nearly 80 percent of the population around the globe. 21 percent of those affected died, and 68 percent got sick but was eventually cured. The remaining 11 percent underwent unexplainable changes, obtaining different abilities that terrified them and the others around them.

Over time, these ones came to be called Gifteds.

Despite mixed reactions from the public, a great number of these people decided to use what they had for the good. Some became officers in local departments, some became agents. This choice had persuaded others to be more supportive and accepting of them. Still, the opposition remained, because along with those who wanted to do good things with the abilities they had were also those who wanted to do bad things with it.

In 2094, after much deliberation from diplomats of different nations, an agency employing gifteds and tasked to keep the chaotic world under control was secretly established, with its headquarters located somewhere in Dare City. It helped lower the crime rate for a while, but with those who had abilities constantly having children, passing down their mutated genes, the population of gifteds—both good and bad—only grew.

Years later, in 2136, which was about the same time teenaged Donald, Douglas, and Tasha were put together as a team to help with a major crisis, an agent by the name of Addison Hank came up with a system to categorize existing public enemies – or, as the agency and the rest of the people had come to call them, villains. He separated each by level of threat, by extent of abilities, and by psychological state, just to name a few.

There are four main categories that currently exist.

Class B consists of troublemakers with repeated offenses. They're only considered as public enemies and were usually handled by either local or federal law enforcement agencies. Defenders, as superpowered agents are called, rarely get involved. Liaisons are sometimes called to consult, but for the most part the Agency doesn't get too involved with them.

None of those in this class have abilities. That is why on the detector that the Defenders wear while on duty, on the metallic bracelet that alerts them to a threat and its level, they have no color designation.

Class A consists of higher class criminals, and almost three-quarters of them have abilities. Because of that, those in this class are considered villains. Members of this category are hazardous, and often Defenders and Liaisons are called to deal with them. Almost a quarter of these ones are terrorists. There are a few mercenaries, like Man of Mercury, and some leaders of mobs or gangs. There are a few nut jobs here and there that only do horrible deeds because they're amused by it.

Capturing Class A villains could be a challenge, but a Defender or a team of Liaisons can usually get the job done. When taken into custody, they're usually taken straight to a detention site. However, there's been a very small number that has been exempt from that rule.

Arkady Ivanov, a non-gifted but very elusive mercenary, is one of them. He had been very difficult to catch, and once he was he was doomed to years in detention. But a turn of event caused him to switch camps. Now, under supervision, he works alongside the agency as a consultant, helping them track down others like him.

Because of a case, he came to meet Donald, Douglas and Tasha. Over the years, he had become one of Douglas' best friends.

On the detector, Class A villains are designated the neon red light strip.

Those in Class S are considered supervillains since 98 percent of those in this category are gifteds. Frostbite, Dirge, and the Centaurians are only some of its most formidable members. Ras Sokolov, though without abilities, was powerful enough to make the list. He has a very extensive criminal web that reached in so many places, even in different agencies, that he's considered very dangerous.

Still, in comparison, he's the lowest in the class.

Like how Class A is lesser in number than Class B, Class S has fewer people compared to the category below it. Currently, there are only nine in this classification – if the Centaurians are counted as a group and not individually.

A team of Defenders and Liaisons are usually required when facing Class S supervillains. However, in the case of Ras Sokolov, the Bionic Three was enough to take him down.

On the detector, Class S are designated the neon blue strip.

Those in the last category, Class X, are considered to be the most cunning, elusive, and the deadliest of all. Since the emergence of the Gifteds nearly one hundred years ago, there had only been three placed in this class. Teams of Defenders and Liaisons have had to work together when fighting against them, and several attempts had to be made just to be able to stop them.

Or, to be exact, several attempts had been made to stop them—many of which had failed.

Ranked third in this class was Bridget Connelly. Unlike many others, she was not born a gifted. She obtained her abilities nearly eighteen years ago, when she was taken as a hostage and accidentally came in contact with an energy source excavated from a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. Her powers steadily increased until she became unstoppable. Unfortunately, as it did, it also corrupted her thinking, and the sweet, loving young woman who was loved by many turned into a sly and manipulative monster that hungered for more power.

She was only ever stopped and eliminated by the mistake she made with the fourth energy source.

However, she was not the only one whose desire for too much caused her own demise—or, in the case of the supervillain that was ranked first, _its_ own demise. An alien lifeform aptly named Black Hole almost destroyed Earth twenty-five years ago. Considered to be a mindless scavenger with a voracious appetite for sources of nuclear energy, it came towards the Milky Way galaxy to consume it. An ally from Orson-1, a planet from millions of lightyears away, had traveled to Earth to sound a warning call and to offer their help.

The battle against Black Hole was harrowing. The efforts would have failed if not for the quick thinking of and the great sacrifice made by the team from Orson-1 and the superhero siblings named Nebula and Collision. By redirecting Black Hole to a slew of black holes through neighboring galaxies while forcing it to take in too much, the creature was finally defeated.

However, even if two out of the three Class X villains are long gone, the agency still keeps in mind the existence of the second in rank. He rarely ever appears, but whenever he does he only causes destruction. Named after the galaxy he was found to inhabit, Dark Phoenix was said to have come to Earth by force in 2138 through a shuttle designed for exploration.

From data collected regarding the inhabitants of his home planet, he's known to be capable of chemical alterations and genetic mimicry. This serves him well, for power cancellation is his best known ability. Defenders that have come in contact with him before while trying to catch him had been stripped of their abilities, and they have never gotten it back.

Besides that, Dark Phoenix is also a shapeshifter. No one knows what he truly looks like, which only makes the search harder.

Nonetheless, unlike Bridget and Black Hole, Dark Phoenix is very cautious, and his lack of interest in gaining power allows him to act more wisely. So skilled is he in concealing himself that he's figured out how to avoid triggering the ultraviolet strip in the detector reserved for a Class X villain like him. He goes off the grid for long periods of time that the agency has mostly given up in trying to locate him and instead had redirected their efforts in training and preparation in case he shows up again.

To the knowledge of many, it had been two decades since he last appeared anywhere. Several Defenders and Liaisons hold the belief that he had lost interest with Earth and had moved on to another planet. Some suspect that he had died without anyone's knowledge. Though it was hopeful thinking, it was very possible.

Neither theories, however, is correct, and only a very few number of people know this. It hadn't been twenty years since his last confirmed sighting. A Defender had accidentally located him one night while experimenting with her detector. She was on the bed, occupying herself with the device as her husband slept beside her, when the ultraviolet strip started to glow and beep. After further examination, she found out that it was activated because of her husband.

She talked to him about it, and the conversation gradually escalated to a confrontation where the horrifying truth came out. The husband left in a storm of dark smoke, thankfully leaving her unharmed and her abilities intact. After that, however, he was never seen from again.

That took place just a few months over seventeen years ago. The Defender who found him was Tasha.

The husband who had vanished that night was Dark Phoenix, and he is Leo's real father.

* * *

 _Reviews, though not necessary, are appreciated._


	7. Normal Lives & How to Keep Secrets

_Thanks to LRW, Mickey12Boo, and AGW for your reviews! I think I sent out Thank You notes. I think..._

 _Anyways, here's a new one. Again, please keep in mind that we're constantly time jumping ('cause it's fun!)_

* * *

 _Normal Lives and How to Keep Secrets_

* * *

"Grandpa!"

"Boys! Oh, I'm so glad you guys are here. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. You two look like you got taller."

Douglas and Janice smiled as Bill held both Leo and Oliver in his embrace. The five year-olds chuckled at their grandfather, the fishing hat piquing their interest.

"Where you going, Grandpa?" Leo asked.

"Uh, well, it's not just me that's going, Lion. It's gonna be you, Bear, grandma and me," Bill said.

"Where we going?" Oliver asked.

Bill smiled secretively. "It's gonna be a surprise," he said. "You guys like surprises?"

"Yeah."

"How about…boats? And fishes?"

"Yeah," Leo said, while Oliver only thought about it.

Bill chuckled. Looking up at Douglas and Janice, he said, "Hello, you two."

"Hello, Bill," greeted Janice.

"Hey, Dad," said Douglas. "How's it going?"

"Well—" Bill got up slowly and carefully, groaning as his knees cracked loudly. He grinned wearily. "It's going," he said. "How about you two? D'you speed up here?"

Douglas shook his head. "No, I thought the kids might not like that very much," he said. "Leo gets a little S-I-C-K, and Oliver gets S-C-A-R-E-D. We flew."

"Ah, okay."

"Where's Mom?"

"Upstairs, laying down. She thought you're not coming until after lunch."

"We're sorry about this, Bill. I know this whole thing's already unexpected, then here we are coming too early," Janice apologized. "It was really my fault."

Bill waved it away. "Oh, it's not a big deal. We're actually really excited to have them both come over, especially since Bear's officially a part of our family now. Plus, we haven't had them stay the weekend in what, six months now?"

"Sorry, Dad. It's just been busy," Douglas said sincerely.

"I know, son. I know. Your face and your brother's have been on the news so many times, you're practically the ones delivering the news."

Janice laughed. Meanwhile, Douglas, albeit with a smirk, asked, "You sure you and mom are up to keeping them? We don't want you both getting too exhausted, especially Mom. We don't want her to get worn down."

"There you are again with that, Douglas Orville. We told you all it's okay. We want the boys to stay," Bill said as he headed to the kitchen.

Janice tried to stifle her laugh upon hearing her husband's middle name. Leo, however, openly snickered. "He called you Orville," the five year-old said.

Douglas huffed when his son, influenced by the reaction of both his mother and cousin, began grinning. "You know your father's middle name is Tiberius, right?" he told Leo. "You're the son of Donald Tiberius Davenport."

Leo laughed a bleary laugh. "Heh heh…Tibe'ius," he repeated.

Oliver giggled along.

Bill's brows hitched as he saw the strange reactions of his grandsons. He frowned at the couple.

Janice held her hands up. "They're just sleepy, trust me," she said. "It was a long flight, and we all woke up pretty early."

Bill slowly nodded. "Good. I was wondering why they're kinda acting like they're both D-R-U-N-K," he said. He turned around then retrieved two bottles of chocolate milk from the fridge. "So no trip to the lake for us this morning then, huh."

"I'm afraid not until after a good long nap."

"Oh, alright. We'll just reschedule it tomorrow," Bill said. "Now, I know you guys need to leave as soon as possible for your assignment, but do you think you'd be able to stay for lunch?"

Douglas shook his head. "Sorry, Dad," he said with a sad smile. "We really gotta jet."

Bill sighed. "Okay. I'll tell your mother," he said. Then, he wagged an index finger at them. "When you pick your little ones up, though – we expect you four to join us for dinner. Your mom and I had done a lot of preparations for it."

"We'll be here, Dad. I promise," Douglas said.

"Alright."

Janice knelt down and threw her arms open. She hugged both boys tightly when they came to her, but most especially her five year-old. "You two behave, alright? Don't give Grandpa and Grandma a hard time, okay?"

Leo nodded. "Okay."

After her nephew detached from her to give his uncle a hug, Janice kissed Oliver on the forehead. "Be a good boy, okay? Daddy and Mommy love you," she assured him.

"Love you, too, Mommy," Oliver told her.

Janice ran a hand through the five year-old's hair, smoothing it down. Then, she stood up.

"Call us, alright?" Bill said as he and the boys watched the couple exit the front door.

"We will, Dad. We'll try," Douglas promised his father. Janice waved goodbye at the three as her husband held the door open for her. Douglas did the same after she walked out. Soon after, the door closed.

Bill took in a deep breath contentedly. He still couldn't believe it. It didn't seem like it had been that long since he and his wife had been dealt the terrible news that they wouldn't be able to have children. They had been so devastated and quite hopeless; they really wanted a family. Then came the opportunity to adopt two boys rescued from some inhumane research facility. The children weren't normal, they were told. They were Gifteds, but in a different way.

He and Alice didn't really care, quite honestly. From the moment they met their sons, Subjects A-01 and B-01 then, they knew they were theirs. To them, they were the most normal and most lovable children they had ever seen.

Overturning the callous, self-deprecating mentality that had been instilled in them had taken some work, but now it was clear that it had been worth it. Donald and Douglas had gained enough confidence throughout the years to want, have, and care for their own families. They even have children now that looked at them with the same admiration and wonder they had in their eyes when they looked at him years ago.

Bill smiled. He was happy that his sons were happy. They deserved love and contentment.

"Grandpa?" Leo yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Um, how about we go upstairs first?" Bill offered as Oliver yawned, too. "Grandma and I fixed up your room. It's really nice in there. We have tents and stars and everything. Wanna check it out?"

"Okay," Leo mumbled. He took one of the hands that his grandfather offered, Oliver doing the same with the other.

"I have a good story for you two, a new one, about fireflies in the woods. Wanna hear it?" Bill said as the three of them ascended up the stairs.

The boys replied with incoherent mumbling.

Their grandfather tried not to laugh. Sleep is inevitable and inescapable for the boys at that point.

 **X**

Bill would never tell Donald and Douglas about it, but he had to ask for help on the third day of his grandkids' visit. It had been way too long since he and his wife had spent time alone with the boys that they forgot how energetic, curious, and fast they could be. Because Alice was still recovering from her surgery, she couldn't help him much. He had to take care of the two mostly by himself.

He thought he did well. At sixty-four, having children around and keeping up with them was not a very easy task. Still, he accomplished it for a few days.

Today, though, he had to admit defeat. Help was available, so he had to take it.

The daughter of his wife's friend had come over as promised. Giselle was her name. Giselle Vickers. She was a roboticist who loved consulting with Alice regarding some of her project ideas. She would visit once or twice a year to speak to her about things Bill couldn't really comprehend completely (his wife was an absolute genius, and he was proud that she had chosen to grow old with an average Joe like him). Both women also spoke about other things, like their lives, career (for Giselle), and being retired (for Alice).

Bill was having difficulty keeping up with Leo and Oliver that afternoon, and seeing him struggle Giselle had offered to keep the boys busy. Though nearly at his wit's end, he declined, saying he didn't want to impose. "Oh, it's really no problem, Bill," Giselle had said, smiling. "I was just telling Alice that I really wanna meet the boys. She tells me so much about them. Plus, I have this rock collection in my car I'd love to show them."

Bill didn't think it was a good idea, mostly because it seemed embarrassing to relegate babysitting duties to a visiting friend. But Giselle seemed so eager to help, and the boys were looking at him pleadingly to see the rocks. Plus, Alice had assured him, "It's alright, Bill. The four of us will be out here by the garden. You do what you need to do."

With that rock solid offer, how could he have refused?

Giselle left a few hours later after they had dinner. The woman had initially declined the offer, but upon their insistence she finally decided to stay and eat. The boys had been very pleased. After spending an afternoon with her, looking through different fascinating rocks, picking through the small ones for their favorite, and making their own necklaces out of it, they had begun viewing her as their friend.

Giselle found their enthusiasm adorable, and she told the couple so during dinner. She had high praises for both children, but she seemed particularly fond of Leo. "He's such a special little boy," she had commented once. "I'm sure his father is very proud of him."

That stuck out to Bill for a moment, but he eventually forgot about it. However, he was quickly reminded by it later that evening, when his wife received a puzzling call close to midnight, hours after the boys had fallen fast asleep between them. "What do you mean?" his wife said, a worrisome frown on her features while the caller continued to speak. She looked at her husband. "But, you were just here… Okay, no. No. It's really nothing that should concern you, sweetie. …Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for calling and letting me know. I'm really sad to have missed you."

"Who was that?" Bill asked later after his wife hung up the phone.

There was a thoughtful, nervous look on Alice's face before and when she looked at him. "Giselle," she finally said.

"Oh. Did she forget something?"

Alice shook her head, and the expression she had reminded him of when she was still an active agent and something troublesome had happened. "She's calling to apologize and reschedule her visit. She said she's at a convention in Sweden to give a lecture at one of the universities there. She's been there all day and will be there until Tuesday." The crease between her brows deepened. "Bill—who did we just let inside our house and play with our grandsons?"

Bill could say nothing. He only glanced at the sleeping five year-olds then stare blankly at his wife.

Another thing Bill and Alice would never tell their sons: they had let an impostor in their house to spend time with them and befriend their grandchildren.

 **X**

"Oh, look at you. You're so cute in your little outfits!"

Bill chuckled as his wife beamed at her grandsons affably. "Why, thank you, honey," he joked. "It's been a while since you've called me cute."

Alice shot him a look. "I'm talking about the boys, Bill," she said, grinning. She stood up from gardening then gave him a peck on the lips. "But you're good-lookin', too," she whispered to him.

Bill chuckled at that. "Please, Alice," he said in a low voice. "Not in front of the children."

Alice laughed.

"Look, Gra'ma!" Oliver opened the small cooler they had. "We caught fish!"

Alice peered down at the basses swimming around inside with approval. "Wow, nice job!" she commended.

"I caught – caught one, too, Gra'ma," said Leo.

"That's awesome! Great job to you both!"

"Did the boys call you while we were gone?" Bill asked his wife as Leo and Oliver kneeled down by the cooler to pet the fishes.

Alice shook her head with a smile. "Janice probably would send a transmission soon, though." She chuckled. "That woman loves her son."

"Mm-hmm. Now with Bear finally calling her Mommy, she'll probably take whatever opportunity she can to hear him say it," Bill commented.

"That just reminds me of the first few years after we got Donald and Douglas," she said. "What did they call us again?"

"Agent Davenport and Mr. Davenport. It took a while before they start calling us Mom and Dad. Those poor boys," he replied, recalling the memory fondly. He frowned. "By the way, that scientist from the facility that vanished. Did the agency ever find her?"

Alice shook her head solemnly. "Estelle said they're still on the lookout for her, but it's not likely she'll be found," she said. "Why'd you ask? You think she'll be interested in coming after the boys and Tasha?"

"I don't know. I just don't like it that she's still out there. She needs to pay for what she did to those kids. And she seemed unstable to me, from what I've read from the files. She was so devoted to that Techno Renaissance mumbo jumbo mentality that the facility promoted. I'm sure she's harmless against the Gifteds and even you, but I don't know what she'd pull out of the bag if she's given the chance." He watched Leo shriek in laughter after Oliver splashed him with water. "I'm worried about our grandkids, too, Alice. That scientist is the only one who may know the key to bringing down Donald, Douglas and Tasha. And if she finds out about our grandkids, especially Leo? Who knows what she'd do?"

"We'll cross the bridge when we get there," Alice assured him.

Bill grinned. "Why do I have the feeling that you're gonna come there fully loaded?"

Alice smirked. "I may be retired, honey," she said, "but in no way am I incapable of fighting for my children."

Bill chuckled. Looping an arm around her waist then squeezing her close to him, he gave her a peck on the cheek. "What did I do to deserve you?" he said adoringly.

Alice only smiled at him.

Oliver shot up from the ground laughing when Leo successfully caught one of the fishes. Leo drew closer and closer to his cousin, chuckling. Oliver drew back slowly, grinning, his eyes only on the fish. When Leo suddenly moved, he screamed.

Bill and Alice covered their ears from the extraordinarily loud sound. They have heard their grandson let out a deafening scream before, but it hadn't been like that. It hadn't left their ears throbbing in pain, and it had _definitely_ not shattered multiple glass windows.

The couple was left gazing afterwards at the wreckage the little boy's scream had caused. Meanwhile, Leo only teetered as he put the fish back in the water. Oliver followed his cousin, asking him to let him catch one.

Bill and Alice looked at each other, both shocked speechless. "Bill?" Alice said. "Is Bear…? Are they…?"

For the second time that visit, Bill was completely stumped.

When their sons and their wives came that night, bearing a distressing warning about keeping Leo's and Oliver's origins sealed airtight, Bill and Alice decided not to tell about the incident. They were realistic about what happened. There was a clearer evidence now that Oliver may be a Gifted, too. Still, they were also discreet about it. That information would only prove to be additional stress to their children, to Douglas and Janice, especially.

So, until they were sure, the knowledge of the five year-old's potential and the disturbing visit from an impersonator would have to wait.

* * *

 _Any guesses on who "Giselle" is?_

 _Reviews are certainly appreciated. :)_


	8. Time Travelers & How the Future Changes

_We're back!_

 _Thanks to LRW and AzulaTano for your reviews! I don't believe I had replied yet, so here they are:_

 ** _LRW:_** _Not quite, but it's a good guess, though. I'm glad you enjoyed meeting the brothers' parents. Bill and Alice will certainly make another reappearance soon. :)_

 ** _AzulaTano:_** _One of your guesses is actually correct. I won't say which, because it'll come to the fore soon. ;) Thank you so much for that note on Oliver! I do feel bad for him. Canonically, he doesn't really have a family anymore. Thought it might be nice to put him in one who will love him. As far as seeing more of Donald, Douglas, and their parents, sure thing! I'll add that in as a future chapter._

 _Thanks again, ladies._

 _All right. So, these next four chapters are together. It's a part of probably the biggest arc in this story. They're the first part. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

 _Time Travelers and How the Future Changes_

* * *

An anomaly in the records sent the agency on the fritz. Time travel, though now close to being realized, had yet to be accomplished. Nonetheless, the Council had discerned a long time ago that an indicator needed to be put into place in case a Gifted, a Super Villain, a scientist, or a talented civilian achieved that feat. The Quantum Clock, which was made up of an intricate system of machines and satellites, did just that.

Since its conception sixteen years ago, the data it produced had always been consistent. The agency's scientists took it as a motivator, something that inspired them to be the first to cause an inconsistency in it. Even a few Gifteds took the steady, unfaltering numbers coming out of it as a challenge. For years, no one had succeeded.

Then, at 4:37 that afternoon, the records skipped a few beats.

The technicians did their best not to get too excited. The Quantum Clock, though nearly infallible, had moments when it would go a bit haywire. After all, recording unusual phenomena in a pretty wide span of time and space could cause even the best state-of-the-art machines to occasionally malfunction.

But after further investigation and repeated cross-referencing revealed that yes, something—or someone—had triggered the jump, the techs and many of the scientists went ballistic.

Director Langley issued an alert to various teams of Liaisons and Defenders shortly after being informed of this. He wanted the source to be found as soon as possible, _if_ possible. They needed to know if the person who triggered the event was an ally or an enemy. _Time travel, although an astounding goal, is ultimately dangerous,_ he had said.

Donald, Tasha, and Douglas had been called in, but only as an assisting team. The agency had enough men and women out in the field. Plus, with Tasha's super intelligence and Donald's and Douglas' biotechnology and engineering backgrounds, they would be of best use at the headquarters than out there.

Douglas watched the technicians and agents scurrying about on the floor. It certainly was a spectacle. He could count in one hand how many times he had seen everyone there that busy. Somehow, it reminded him of that event when he was a teenager. Harbinger, Plague, and Critical-Nine seemed to have been big fans of Black Hole's work and so had tried to wipe out earth, which, honestly, even after all these years, still sounded so dumb to him. The three of them were humans, too. How did they expect to survive a plague that was meant to infect and destroy the human race?

Still, that it was not well-thought through didn't mean they didn't almost succeed. All people living then came so close to death.

It was a busy day in the agency, to say the least.

"As busy as this, actually," Douglas muttered to himself.

"What'd you say?" Donald asked.

Douglas shook his head, taking his eyes away from the steady stream of people outside. "It's nothing important," he said, turning back to the conference room they were in. Nodding at his sister-in-law, he said, "Tasha. Anything on our time jumper yet?"

"No," Tasha said, not looking up from the computer screen. "I'm trying to pinpoint where exactly the Quantum Clock picked up the irregularity, but it keeps bouncing from place to place. The rip is recorded the strongest in Comet Landing, southwest of the Kilmer Corp building."

"It doesn't seem like any of the teams had been dispatched there yet. We're ahead," Donald said, looking up from the program on his tablet.

"Does that surprise you? Your wife's a super genius, my son's a brilliant programmer, and we've been in this business far too longer than the others," Douglas said. Tasha smirked at that.

Donald, however, only said, "I'm a little worried they'll figure out we're conducting our own search when Langley told us to stay put."

"Why, baby? You don't trust that I've got everything covered?" Tasha teased.

"No, no, I do! It's just, I'm a little concerned, that's all," Donald said. He then smirked. "And believe me, I know you're a nerd."

Tasha gaped at him albeit with a grin pulling at her lips. "Excuse me?"

"A babe nerd. Drop dead gorgeous one," Donald said, grinning. He winked at her.

Tasha chuckled then went back to work.

Douglas, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. "Ugh, this is as bad as when we were teenagers," he said. "You guys are married. You have a kid. Enough already."

"Why're you checking us?" Donald said. "If I remember right, you and Janice flirted more when you were dating."

"And we still do."

"As it should be. You're married, too," Tasha said. "Now let's dial back on the romance and get back on this mystery. We need to figure out if this person, machine, or whatever it is is still here."

Douglas consulted his copy of the Clock's records. "It must be," he concluded from it. "We've only seen one anomaly. There's a second one right after the first, but it might just be a glitch. More than likely, this… _unknown_ entered at 4:37:01:96 PM and haven't left."

"It's been four hours," Tasha said, leaning back on the swivel chair in exhaustion. "We should have at least something on this jumper by now!"

A knock on the door sent the three on alert. Using super speed, Douglas hid the documents spread out on the table behind different objects in the room. Meanwhile, Donald and Tasha switched the windows on their tablet and computer, respectively, to something less suspicious.

An agent slightly opened the door, an uneasy expression on her face. "Sirs? Ma'am?" she said. "There's someone here who would like to see you."

"All right," Donald said.

The agent pushed the door wider, allowing the three men behind her in. Two armed agents flanked the man in the middle. It was a curious sight, since the person in question didn't look as harmful as they. He wore a gray suit with a chrome sheen, with boots and gloves to match. He appeared to only be in his early thirties, still young in comparison.

Douglas noted the threat detector on his wrist. No strips lit up.

"This is Rex Founder," the agent introduced. "He surrendered an hour ago. He said he would only speak with you three."

"Speak to us about what?" Donald asked.

"The time jump," the man answered. "The first and the only anomaly the Quantum Clock will ever detect."

That visibly raised the tension in the room, if not the whole floor. "How do you know that it's the only one it will ever detect?" Douglas asked skeptically.

"Because it says so on the agency records twenty-three years from now," he said. "I have proof that—" He froze, refraining to dig into the pocket by his right knee when the agents' weapons went up. He held his hands up. "I have proof of my claims, of all of it, if you allow me to show you."

"Of all your claims?" Donald asked. "And what do you mean twenty-three years from now? Are you saying you're…?"

The man nodded. "I triggered it. I have travelled through time to fulfill a mission," he said. "Everyone's lives depend on it."

Tasha stared searchingly at him. Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying," she said insightfully. "Everyone can fake proofs. Everyone can say they're something they're not. I don't think you're from the future."

The visitor appeared distressed. He thought for a moment, as if digging desperately into his mind for something. Then, finally, it came. "The point of entry. There are leads, but only three people know the exact location. I know this, because it was on Douglas Davenport's report," he said.

"My report?" repeated Douglas.

"Comet Landing. Southwest of Kilmer Corp. The overpass near Shallow River Avenue," the man said. "You wrote in the report that it was you who discovered it, but I know you only said that because you wanted to cover for the person who actually found out about it."

Tasha's suspicion changed to slight alarm when the man turned his eyes on her.

"Why are you here?" Donald demanded defensively.

The man's eyes softened—out of fear, out of worry, they didn't know. "The world, in my time line, is nearing its destruction. Nearly half of earth's population is dead. The number is still climbing when I left," he said. "The agency, this same one that we're in, had exhausted all Defenders and Liaisons. Even retired ones, like my father, are gone. We're losing the fight, and the only solution the agency has is to send me back here." He regarded Tasha with much respect. "I am here with your approval, Director Davenport."

Tasha slowly stood up. "What do you mean?"

"You told me to carry out this mission without your knowledge, Director, but I couldn't just do it without letting the past you, this you now, know," he said. "I lost my family in the battle. I lost the only ones I have. Until now I still don't know why. I don't want it to happen to you, too. I want you to know why. You deserve to."

"What's the mission she sent you to?" Donald asked.

"I have to change the future," he said. "I have to subdue the two people responsible for its destruction."

"These two people. Are they Gifted?" Douglas asked, his arms crossed.

"Vortex, and Cyanide," the man confirmed. "That's what they go by."

Douglas scoffed. "Not the worse names they could come up with," he mumbled. Donald glowered at him.

"They're the most powerful ones we have in existence," the man said.

"Even more than…?"

"Yes."

"What information do you have on those two?" Tasha asked, joining her husband and brother-in-law. "Are they on the index?"

"No. At the moment, they haven't shown any abilities yet. Actually, they have never shown any indication of being Gifted ever. Still, considering their parentage, it's not surprising," he reported. After asking permission to retrieve something and being granted it, he took off the glove on his right hand then took off the ring on his index finger. He set it on the table, cuing it to turn on. "In this year, 2162, they're both eighteen, children of Defender parents."

"Who are these kids?" Donald prompted.

The man clicked on a button on the ring. The small band split in half, forming two semi-circles standing side by side. Then, it projected two pictures, underneath it details regarding them. Initially, the photographs showed men in their forties. They then de-aged until they reached their eighteen year-old appearances.

Tasha softly gasped. "No…" she said. Meanwhile, Donald and Douglas only stared speechlessly.

"Cyanide. Real name: Oliver Henry Davenport. And Vortex. Real name: Leo Alexander Davenport," the man said. "For causing the death of billions, the agency has deemed them extremely dangerous. They are accountable for their crimes against humanity. I am here to stop them. I am sent to eliminate them."

* * *

 _To be continued._


	9. Family vs Duties & How to Set Priorities

_Thank you to LRW and EmeraldTulip for your reviews! They were much appreciated. :)_

 _This chapter slightly crosses over with another show. It has a character from **Criminal Minds.** But, as always, knowledge of that show is not necessary._

* * *

 _Family vs Duties and How to Set Priorities_

* * *

Their first response was, of course, no. No. _You will not touch our kids._

To Midnight's credit (Midnight being their visitor from the future), initially, he respected their wishes. He expressed how difficult it must be for them to hear these things and how outrageous it was. He said that even for their future selves, all of whom had seen the global disaster, making this decision had taken a lot. These men in question were the children they loved and nurtured since infancy, after all.

But that Midnight understood didn't change Donald's, Tasha's, and Douglas' minds. If Midnight really wanted to kill their children, he had to go through them first.

However, the resolve to protect their sons only became harder. Director Langley had been made aware of the time traveler's presence in their headquarters as well as his purpose for being there. His reaction had been similar: definitely not. We would not allow you to get anywhere near these Defenders' children. "Your Director may have given you that order, but I am the director of this time you're in. This is my jurisdiction, my law," Langley said, giving the Bionic Three great relief.

Midnight appeared agitated by that. He tried to reason, but the older director didn't want to hear any of it. "You don't know what you're doing," Midnight said.

"With all due respect, Mr. Founder, neither do you," Langley countered.

"You're choosing two above the billions of people?" Midnight shot. "What about my family? _Your_ family? The families of others in here? Those boys are murderers!"

"You leave our kids out of this!" Donald fired.

"They're very much in this! They're in the middle of it!" Midnight reeled from his swerving temperament. He took a deep breath and told Langley, "When we signed up for this, you swore, we all swore, to protect others at all costs. _To serve and to sacrifice, to preserve the lives of others,_ right? You may not see the future, but I've been there. Everyone I've known, everyone I've cared about, dead because of those two men. I know you want to believe the best in those boys. You want to deny that they'd ever be who I say they'd be. But you know it's not entirely impossible. Cyanide is the son of a powerful supervillain. I know that even you, Director Langley, had wondered before about the likelihood of him becoming like his mother, too."

Midnight walked out of the room to cool down. Douglas had been very tempted to deck him, but a gentle touch on the shoulder from Tasha stopped him.

Though Langley promised to have agents keep a close eye on the visitor, the trio could tell that he wasn't as resolute in his decision to protect their children as he used to. It frustrated and even infuriated them to see an affirmation of the jumper's claim, that yes, their director and close friend _had_ thought about the possibility of their sons becoming like their birth parents. However, they resolved not to get too carried away with their emotions. They had families to protect and a situation to get around.

They did some detective work first. Tasha still didn't trust Midnight, and Donald and Douglas were solidly convinced that he was just some lowlife who was up to no good. Calling in a favor from Garcia, a close friend of Donald and Tasha's at the FBI, they searched for a Rex Founder in existence. To Tasha's calculation, the boy should be somewhere between eight to sixteen years of age. "Rex Founder" should also have a father who's an active Defender.

"Ooh, Mama? You're not gonna like what I'd found," Garcia said when she called back nearly an hour later.

A Rex Founder showed up in the database search. Rex was nine and was the son of Rosen Founder, codename Titanium, and Alexandra Kenneth-Founder. Garcia sent over a picture, which was printed out and given as a file to them by Beth Arthur, a Liaison the three of them trusted.

From the photo, it was unmistakable that nine year-old Rex Founders would grow up to be the time traveler Midnight.

They re-routed to a different plan. Although it seemed like a stretch, they had to go to someone working in the Underground. Donald had heard of a man nicknamed Abacus. Not a Gifted, leaned towards the bad side more often, but was superiorly intelligent. His specialty had been situation assessment. For a price, he could give a near perfect calculation of how an event would turn out.

Donald went by himself to meet the fidgety man. Getting through the slums of downtown Leecher-Breach proved somewhat daunting at that wee hour of the morning, but he eventually found Abacus' dismal den. It took a lot of patience (Abacus constantly rattled off numbers and likelihoods under his breath) and some money to get the genius to assess the situation.

"What's our situation?" Abacus asked. When Donald hesitated, he stared at him for a moment before saying, "From the look on your face and the prolonged hesitation, my estimation leads me to believe that your reason for coming has an 11.3% likelihood of being influenced by work; 15.1% of being motivated by pure curiosity; 29.9% of being out of obligation as a Defender; and 33.7% of being obligated as a family man."

"I didn't come here to be read by you, Abacus," Donald said.

Abacus narrowed his eyes, noting the superhero's biting undertone. "I rescind that estimation," he said. "77.7% for being a family man, 22.3% of being a good man unfortunately bound by law."

Though thoroughly ticked off, Donald told him the situation that needed assessment. He omitted a few details, like the identities of his son and his nephew. He recounted everything they had on the time traveler and the proofs that he brought up with them. "What about their families?" Abacus asked.

"They have good families, ones that love them."

"My question isn't whether they are loved, Mr. Defender. My question is whether they have always had these ones with them. 19.9% of the people operating in the Underground had families that loved them, and out of those, 89.8% had been born from a parent or parents that had been assigned a strip in your threat detector jewelry."

Though caught somewhat unaware by those words, Donald still begrudgingly answered, "No. They didn't always have their families now."

"78.6% that they have a less than desirable parentage. 87.0% that a parent or parents of theirs are considered public menaces. Are my assessments correct?"

Donald's silence sufficed.

"If it helps, we're all broken," Abacus said as a consolation, turning around to his small network of computers to begin calculation. "The only difference between you and these kids' parents is that you took up a suit that binds you to normalcy and duty, and they didn't."

Donald met up with his wife and brother at around a quarter past two with a disheartening result. From Abacus' assessment, the likelihood of the global catastrophe happening in the hands of powerful supervillains born from supervillain parents was 87.6%. "He said that the higher their birth parents go in the public enemies' system, the higher the likelihood is," Donald said. "Class A is the 87.6%. Class S bumps it up to 91.2%. 92% if they're Gifted."

"And Class X?" Tasha asked.

Donald hesitated. "98.7%," he said. "He suggested the same thing Midnight said must be done: eliminate them before they show any abilities. Because the moment they do…"

He didn't have to finish for Tasha and Douglas to understand.

Their travel back to their homes had been filled with tense silence. Their decision hadn't changed; they would protect their children from any danger. If Midnight thought that getting to the boys would be easy, he had another thing coming.

Still, with mounting evidence stacking up against them, they couldn't help but wonder: if they were forced to choose, would they pick the billion over the two? The two that meant the whole world to them?

The house was dark and quiet by the time Douglas got in. Thoughts of Midnight's warning, Garcia's findings, and Abacus' assessment weighed so heavily in his mind that it startled him when someone opened the fridge as he walked in. He frowned but soon sighed in relief.

Oliver turned his head to the source of the sound, his eyes wide in fear. Then he squinted. "Dad?"

"What are you doing up this late?" Douglas asked.

"Leo and I were just trying out this new game we bought," Oliver said, grabbing a bottle of juice. He grinned. " _Destruction IV: Apocalypse._ It's where we destroy everything."

"Oliver."

"I'm just kidding! We don't like games like that," Oliver said, chuckling. He closed the fridge then tapped on the countertop to cue dimmed lights overhead. "We're playing _Slam Dunk 6._ "

"Hm. How's it going so far?"

"Uh, well, when we do the one-on-one game mode, good. I've beaten Leo twice. When we play against the tech team, we get pummeled. Big time." Oliver smiled. "How's work going? I know you can't talk about it, but you…look like you've taken on a couple of villains. You look worn out."

"Just had a long day at work," Douglas said. He didn't want to worry his son. "Has your mother come home yet?"

"Yeah. She actually just came about an hour before you did. She was moving about in your room, oh, about twenty minutes ago?" Oliver said. "Well, I gotta go back upstairs. Leo's waiting."

"I don't want you staying up late, Oliver. You and your mother have somewhere to go tomorrow."

"Right. Tux shopping for the gala on Saturday night, and then picking up Grandpa and Grandma. Wouldn't want to fall asleep on that."

"Not unless you want your grandparents to give us an earful about not taking care of you."

"No. No, sir. No earful." Oliver smiled. "Goodnight, Dad."

As Douglas looked at the eighteen year-old, all he could see was the clumsy, over-methodical but intelligent and compassionate boy he and his wife had raised. He didn't express it as often as he should have, but he loved his son very much. Hurting him in any way, even if it was for the sake of the many, would never cease to be the worst request someone could ask of him. "See you at breakfast," he replied.

With that permission, Oliver went up the stairs to head back to the Game Room.

After turning the lights off in the kitchen and the night watch system on, Douglas went upstairs. He got ready for bed, careful not to wake up his wife, and eventually joined her. He scooted close and wrapped an arm on her waist.

 _You're worthless. You'll never become anything. No one cares about you._

Douglas focused on the way Janice held onto his arm and the bright smile and even brighter stories Oliver welcomed him with almost every time he came home from work.

No. Not worthless. He was something to his wife and son. They cared very much for him.

And he would do whatever he could to make sure they were safe.

* * *

 _To be continued._


	10. In-Laws, Outlaws & How Lies Are Revealed

_Thanks to EmeraldTulip, LRW, Mickey12Boo, and SweetXscape for the reviews!_

 _TW: mentions of character death_

* * *

 _In-Laws, Outlaws, and How Lies Are Revealed_

* * *

Alice had noticed Tasha's uneasiness almost immediately after she saw her. It worried her, especially since she had also seen nervous habits from both of her sons, but she decided to refrain from interrogating them about it. Especially not in front of her grandsons; the two boys seemed excited for the gala tonight, and she didn't want to ruin it by triggering something that could ruin it.

She waited for the right time. Patience had always been a virtue in things like these.

It came later that Saturday night. Tasha had been called in to deal quickly with a situation and so told the family that she would arrive late. Alice told them, too, that she would wait for her daughter-in-law instead of going with them.

No, it's okay. Yes, I'm sure.

Tasha had expressed gratefulness for Alice's willingness to go with her, and while driving to their destination she asked if that meant that she was in trouble. Alice only laughed and told her no. She said she just wanted to spend time with her. "Thought I could let Janice deal with the boys tonight," she joked.

Alice had begun wondering whether Tasha's nervousness had been borne from their being there. The super genius _was_ always anxious to make sure everything was up to par. Although that concern was present, the ex-agent knew something else bothered the younger woman—something sinister, something dark.

"They've probably just started serving dinner," Tasha said as they entered the palace-like building. "I'm really sorry I got you here so late."

"Oh, honey, being late is something I understand," Alice said as she tried to keep up. "Could we slow down, though? I am getting really tired."

Tasha stopped. "Oh. I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't—" She huffed, clearly frustrated with herself. "These past three days had just been—"

"Tasha, quit apologizing for things you have no control over," Alice said, warmly taking her hand and squeezing it. "I worked as a liaison, remember? Now, how about we sit down for a moment? That food in there is not going anywhere."

Tasha smiled appreciatively then nodded.

Alice led them both to a window ledge. Sitting down, she said, "You know, when I was about your age, I used to be able to sprint as fast as you. Getting old is getting harder every year."

"I'm so—"

Alice cut her off with a look and a smirk.

Tasha realized what she had almost done again. She chuckled half-heartedly. "Force of habit," she reasoned.

Alice accepted that. She looked around the room and noted how beautiful and elegant everything seemed. "You know I'm not one to beat around the bush," she said.

Tasha smiled sheepishly. "So you did come because something was wrong."

Alice smiled at her. "Yes. But I don't know what it is yet," she said. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Tasha sighed. "I know Leo stayed up way too late, but—"

"No. Sorry to cut you off, honey, but that's not the problem. That's something I will hold those boys accountable for later. What I want to know is what's going on with you and my sons. Something is off, and I wanna know what it is."

Again, the distraught expression she had glimpsed earlier that day appeared. Yet, this time, it was in its more alarming form.

"Tasha…"

"A time traveler just showed up about two days ago," Tasha finally confessed. "He said he was sent here by the agency, _I,_ as the director twenty-three years from now, sent him here, to stop something bad from happening."

"What is this something bad?"

"Death. Destruction of everything," Tasha said. "He said I sent him here, but I know I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't send someone to kill children."

"Children? The subjects are kids?"

"My son, Alice, and my nephew. He said I sent him here to eliminate them," Tasha said. "And I know it's impossible. There's no way I would let that happen. But evidences we collected are telling us that we do have a choice to make: our kids or the rest of the world. I don't want to make that choice."

Alice thought about it. "Did you double-check everything that you have?" she asked.

Tasha nodded.

"Are your resources reliable?"

"Yes. All friends. Well, except for one, but money usually gets him to straighten out."

"Do Lion and Bear know?"

"No. We're keeping them in the dark. Janice has an idea that something's up, but we haven't told her anything either."

Alice mentally drafted different approaches to the problem. "What do you have from this time traveler?"

"His name is Rex Founder, codename Midnight. He's thirty-two, son of Titanium and a civilian mother. He knows a lot of things, proven himself as legitimate that way. Douglas said he didn't trigger the detector, so we know he's not a Gifted who's up to no good."

"Where is he?"

"Last I checked, he's at the HQ. Agent Arthur's keeping close watch over him."

"Does this _Midnight_ mention any time limit?"

"Not necessarily. He just said he had to do his job before the boys show any signs of being Gifteds. One of our resources confirmed it by saying that once they do, becoming the enemies they would be is inevitable."

Alice thought that weird. She frowned. "So this traveler is saying that it will happen _immediately_ after they show abilities?"

"We're under that impression."

Alice scoffed. "Then this traveler is a fraud, and that resource is unreliable."

"What do you mean?"

"It's been thirteen years since they showed signs of being Gifteds. When Bear and Lion were five, Bear shattered all the glass in the backyard when he screamed. Nearly blew out our eardrums, too," Alice explained. "And Lion, well, he was unaffected. A non-Gifted child's ears would've been bleeding, but his were just fine. He just laughed it off, and they just kept playing."

Alice shook her head. "I'm trained in situation assessment, and after thirteen years of watching these boys, their likelihood of becoming villains is nearly non-existent."

Upon realizing the terrible error they had committed, Tasha headed to the dining hall and called her husband. Alice, meanwhile, closely followed. "Donald, where are the boys?" she asked when he answered.

 _"Talking to their friends, but don't worry – Douglas is getting them now,"_ Donald said. _"Are you and Mom almost here?"_

"We're here." Tasha and Alice were admitted into the large room by the men standing guard outside. After swerving through the multitude of guests, Tasha found her husband. Closing her phone shut, she told him, "Donald, we were wrong about Midnight. We can't trust him."

Donald huffed. "Ah, I knew it," he hissed under his breath.

"Donald?"

"Arkady is at the headquarters today, so Douglas gave him a call, asking him to keep him updated on what Founder is doing," Donald explained. "Just fifteen minutes ago, he called Douglas back and told him that Midnight and Arthur had gone off-grounds."

"They're not there anymore?"

Donald shook his head. "Arkady looked through Arthur's desk to see where she had gone with the time traveler, and he found documents sent over by the FBI a few days ago."

"Please don't tell me it's from Garcia," Tasha said. "Beth couldn't've switched it."

"She lied to us, too. And I have a feeling Abacus just spat out some really false numbers to throw us off," Donald said.

"You three keep your eyes on the boys," Alice said. "I will get in touch with a friend. He'll find that Arthur girl for us."

"Mom, there's no use," Donald stopped her from leaving. He shook his head. "Beth Arthur had just been found dead."

"Founder killed her?"

"I don't know. Langley's getting it investigated."

"We need to get the boys out of here. That lunatic can be anywhere," Tasha said.

"I know," Donald said. "That's why I—"

Douglas joined the group, huffing as he tried to catch his breath.

"Douglas Orville," Alice chided.

Douglas shook his head. "I looked around the building," he panted. "I don't know how but…I couldn't find them. Leo…and Oliver. They're gone."

* * *

 _To be continued._


	11. Eventualities & How Nightmares Come

_Thanks to LRW, SweetXscape, and Mickey12Boo for the reviews!_

* * *

 _Eventualities and How Nightmares Come to Life_

* * *

"Did you hear about the new recruits?" Oliver asked, putting his phone down. "An article about them just came out. I think the guy who wrote it has a crush on one of them."

The cousins had been sitting out by the gardens for almost a quarter of an hour now. A friend of theirs, an expert on both earthly and extraterrestrial minerals, had said he would come see them to discuss the matter they told him they'd rather discuss in person. The timid doctor could be so late at times, and normally they would be forgiving. But with their parents lately watching both of them like hawks, they didn't know how long they could stay out there.

"Which one?" Leo asked, sitting up on the cool bench. "The one with electricity or…?"

"Magnetism."

Leo smirked. "Can't blame him. She _is_ pretty."

"Well, both of them are. They _are_ identical twins."

Leo shot his cousin a withering glare. He resumed keeping an eye out for the geologist. "I'm almost ninety-nine percent sure our parents will kill us when they found out we left without saying anything," he commented.

"Ninety-nine? Try a hundred," Oliver said.

Leo frowned. "I wonder what's up. Things feel a little off. Mom and Dad seem a little agitated."

"Yeah. Same with Dad." Oliver's eyes widened. "Oh, man. I hope it's not because Mom's pregnant."

"How? You know the deal with your dad, and my mom, and my dad. None of them can have kids," Leo said.

"Your mom had you."

"You know why. I thought I told you?"

Oliver frowned thoughtfully. "Oh. Oh, yeah, you did," he said. "Sorry. I keep forgetting."

Leo sighed. "That's probably for the best," he said. "Mom and Dad made me promise not to tell anyone else. It's better if it just stays in the family."

Oliver nodded. "Do you think anyone else in the agency knows?"

"Director Langley probably does. The rest probably doesn't."

"Are you…ever gonna tell Bree? You guys are best friends."

Leo shook his head. "People are just gonna be weird about it. I'm not saying Bree would, but it's for the best. It's a secret that could ruin Mom. If people found out that the rest of our family knew about it, too? All of us would be in big trouble," he said. Then, he smirked. "To be honest, I almost didn't tell you."

Oliver laughed. "What, you thought I was going to tell people?"

"Dude, you blog," Leo said, grinning. "You gotta admit, it's pretty explosive material."

"And what, have people digging into my own background? Information about who my mother is is easier to access. Putting your secret out there will be the end of me, too."

"I didn't say I wasn't gonna drag you down with me," Leo said.

"Yes, because the first fifty times you did aren't enough," Oliver said.

Noting the undertone of annoyance, Leo playfully swatted him on the arm. "You gotta loosen up, man. Life's not that serious."

"It _is_ serious," Oliver responded. "The moment I loosen up is the moment I lose control of everything."

"Too late. None of us here in this planet has and will ever have control of everything."

"You know what I mean," Oliver said. "I don't wanna do something that would disappoint Dad."

"You won't disappoint him," Leo assured. "Uncle Douglas loves you. I think he's very proud of you."

"I know, but it just seems like I won't ever live up to what people expect from a kid of a superhero," Oliver confessed. "I mean, look at Chase. He's now in the process of being signed up as a Defender. Adam just discovered his abilities, and I'm sure he's up next. Arkady told me how Agent Henderson wouldn't shut up about his sons. He's so proud of them."

"You know, even if you're not a Gifted, Oliver, you're still capable of doing big things."

"At this rate I'm going, the best thing I'd be is a news writer."

"Isn't that what you want to be?"

"Yes! It's what I want to be. It's just that – I don't want people to make fun of Dad because of my…career trajectory. I mean, he's built up this reputation of being one of the best superheroes around, and here his son is just some writer that runs after stories. That's…that's kind of embarrassing for him, I would imagine."

Leo smiled sadly. In a way, he did understand. "Well, if it counts, Uncle Douglas has never really cared about what other people think. If he's happy about the things that make you happy, why does it even matter what others think?" he said. He grinned. "And as far as I remember, I've offered for the two of us to run Davenport Industries together. So actually, you'll be a news writer by day, corporate titan by night. It's like what we see in the comics."

Oliver laughed. "It's like what we see in therapy pamphlets, actually. That's gonna stress me to death."

Leo grinned. Then, checking his watch, he looked around. "Where _is_ Santi? He said he'll be here on time," he said.

Oliver shrugged. "Maybe he got held up at work," he said. "We probably should try another time."

"Yeah, I guess." Leo stood up, Oliver doing the same. Feeling the strangely warm mineral in his jacket pocket, he took it out. The sizeable deep emerald sliver faintly glowed. "It's still doing that thing," he muttered. He looked at his cousin. "I tried to break it, but it's as hard as a diamond. You know, I tried to cut a mirror with it."

"Did it work?"

"Yeah. It even scratched my study desk."

Oliver pondered over it. Meanwhile, the reddish orange pendant in his jacket pocket emitted similar warmth. "I wonder why Grandma and Grandpa wanted us to get rid of these," he said.

Leo shrugged. All he remembered about those pendants was that they were parts of necklaces given to them when they were little. Their grandparents had been adamant in having those thrown away, but after that incident when the two of them were thirteen, they both agreed to keep it. "I guess we'll find out when we talk to Santi," he said.

"Mr. Davenport?"

Both Leo and Oliver turned. A man dressed in a black tactical suit stood there. "Yes?" Leo said when he didn't speak.

"I have been looking for you both."

"Oh, don't worry about it. We're about to go back in anyways," Oliver said, thinking the man had been sent to search for them. "We'll tell our parents. Thanks." Then, he and Leo decided to leave.

The sound of blasters cocking then energizing behind them stopped them short. Turning around, they saw the weapons pointed at both of them.

"Abominations," the man spat towards the boys. "Neither of you are supposed to exist. I'm here to correct that."

 **X**

"How could you have let them out of your sight? That fraud is still out there to get them!"

"Last I checked, you weren't keeping your eye on them either," Douglas countered his older brother. "Between the both of us, I think I was the one who did more."

"Boys, stop," Alice chided her sons. She asked Douglas, "Where's Janice?"

"She's helping me look for them. Dad's checking with the people posted outside, too."

Though her nerves were frayed, Tasha decided to concentrate. She tapped the side of her temple and turned on her locator. After a quick search of active gadgets, she said, "Oliver's phone was last used outside at the garden. It's still on."

Douglas huffed then clicked his tongue as his mother, brother, and sister-in-law hurried out the event hall. "I told him to always stay close," he muttered regarding his son before speeding away.

 **X**

"Who are you?" Leo asked in hopes of stalling the man.

"You don't need to know," the man said. His fingers tightened at the trigger.

A swift breeze blew nearby. "Midnight!"

Leo, Oliver, and Midnight looked at Douglas. "You may be fast, Subject B-01," Midnight said, turning his eyes back on the teens. "But all it takes from my end is one click."

"Leave our children alone," Douglas said.

"None of you were supposed to reproduce. These children. They are impossibilities," Midnight insisted after Donald, Tasha, and Alice joined them.

"We know you're not who you say you are, Founder," Tasha said.

Midnight snorted a laugh. "Really, Subject C-04. You only figured that out now? Rex Founder." He shook his head. "You're supposed to be the smartest person alive."

"She _is_ the smartest person alive," Donald defended his wife. "Look, we know the boys are not who you really want. "Let them go. You can have us."

A dark expression clouded Midnight's face. "She spent years running away because of having you," he said. "You've ruined us. It's too late now."

"Fox," Tasha said after rejumbling the anagram of a name. "Fox, you're – you're Anabelle's child."

" _Reed_ Fox," Midnight confirmed. "And we're all her children, _Tasha._ You and A-01 and B-01. My mother is your mother."

"No, _she_ is my mother!" Douglas said, pointing at Alice. Nightmarish memories from when they were children bubbled up inside him, causing deep-seated anger to flare up. "Anabelle is a selfish being who experimented on us and locked us up for years. She will never be my mother!"

"Ungrateful. Everything that you have now, you have because of her. You _belong_ to her."

"You have no right to make that call. Neither does Anabelle," Alice said evenly.

Midnight smirked. "Thieves like pointing fingers at others, don't they, Agent Davenport?"

"Your mother ran illegal tests. Turned three children into weapons by giving them abilities so they can fight against Defenders if need be," Alice said. "I'm not the criminal. Dr. Fox is."

"I don't know what Anabelle told you, Reed, but you don't have to kill," Tasha said. "If you're here to get even, you don't have to hurt innocent children. You didn't have to kill Agent Arthur."

Midnight's brows creased. "Beth? I didn't kill Beth," he said. "She's…she's dead?"

The honesty and sincerity in that question, borne from shock and confusion, elicited a heavier feeling of dread from all of them.

Unaware of this, however, Midnight's expression grew darker. "My mother was right. You're all monsters. And the anomalies you produced will be no better," he said. "That's why I have to get rid of them before they turn into something like you."

Douglas sped forward to tackle Midnight before Midnight could activate the blaster. The thirty-four year old flew back, crashing against the bushes. "Go!" Douglas told the boys.

Leo and Oliver obeyed. Oliver had taken a few steps already when his instincts beckoned him to look back. In the shadows behind the bushes, he saw Midnight moving. "Dad!" he yelled.

The shot whizzed through the bushes just after Oliver pushed his father out of harm's way. It hit him squarely on the chest, and the impact knocked him out.

"Oliver!" Douglas and Leo both yelled.

"Leo, no!" Donald yelled as his son ran back to his cousin's side

Leo successfully made it there, but another shot from the pulsar prevented Douglas from coming any closer. The waves blasted him back, and the unconscious speedster crashed against the cement with a loud thud.

"Stay where you are!" Midnight commanded before Donald, Tasha, and Alice could make a move. He pointed the pulsar at Leo, who stood up as he saw the scientist's son come closer.

"Reed, please," Tasha begged, shaking her head. "Please not our son. Please…"

"You have no right to have one. You were not meant to." Midnight turned the deadly glare at Leo. "And I'm here to make it right."

The lights around them began flickering before Reed could act on his intention. A loud, thunderous sound trembled across the sky. It came from a distance and quickly came closer, sufficiently distracting Reed and confusing even those inside the building. As it approached a dangerously close proximity, his, Tasha's, Douglas', and every present agency defenders' and liaisons' threat detectors lit up. Noticing this, the Donald and Tasha looked.

Ultraviolet strip, glowing bright and threateningly.

Tasha's eyes widened in fear. "Oh no."

Black chains suddenly materialized and lassoed around Midnight's blaster. Then, it was yanked away. Surprised and angered, Midnight looked up. A tall, strange figure holding the chains slowly approached them. It was a man in form, but inhuman in his partially smoky structure. He left trails of dark fog behind, and his gray eyes were fixed on him with a glare.

Midnight's heart raced in fear. The figure – it had been tailing him since last night. He didn't know what it wanted, but it had been watching him: when he went to Leecher-Breach to pay Abacus to lie, when he went to the agency to dig for information about the children. He had the same foreboding feeling when he left Beth earlier after they finalized their plans of ending the Bionic Three's children.

He backed away and attempted to run. If this had been the thing that ended Beth, it might just do the same to him. However, a magnetic force clasped around his midsection before he could get anywhere. Forcefully pulled backwards, he flew, whipping through the air, only to be spun back around and end up in the figure's hand. It held him up by the collar, leaving his feet dangling in the air as they came face to face.

The form stared at him searchingly, his eyes drilling into his thoughts that bounced frantically inside his mind. Then, it placed a semblance of a hand on his chest.

Midnight screamed as his heart felt like it caught on fire.

Seeing the horrifying scene unfold, Leo yelled, "Dad, stop!"

The form slowly turned its head towards the boy.

Leo glanced at Midnight then back to him again.

The form stared at him and then blinked. From what Leo could see, its eyes softened. Eventually, it drew back its hand.

Consequentially, Midnight fell on the ground, whimpering as every vein in his body continued to burn.

The form stared at Leo. He knew that the boy couldn't think of anything to say. The teenager was scared, after all, and that was understandable. But he—he had many things to say. Words and thoughts had built up over the years, truths and lessons he wanted to impart, but this place of pain and destruction was not where he should say it.

The wall of dark smoke began to run, his speed as that of light. He looped around, separating Leo, Oliver, and Midnight from Donald and Tasha. It created a tornado-like funnel, with a faint pinkish purple wall forming inside.

"Leo!" Tasha yelled, fighting against the strong winds blowing across the grounds as she caught glimpses of her son.

Electricity crackled in the funnel. A few offshoots flew towards the building, leaving burn marks on the cement, and the windows, shattering them. One in particular hit Douglas, but instead of harming him it was curiously only absorbed by his system.

As several Defenders made their way out to investigate, a bright spark went off inside the funnel. Cyclone, who had been one of the closest, spun at a high velocity before merging through the wall of wind. He created a counteractive tornado inside, and it eventually dismantled the destructive one.

When everything cleared, the garden was a disaster, and Midnight had been spat out on the ground in front of others.

Leo and Oliver were nowhere in sight.

Dread and fear realized washed over Tasha. "No. No…" she muttered under her breath in shock. "Leo!"

But it was useless, for in the place Dark Phoenix took his son and the other boy to all earthly voices were silenced.

* * *

 _Now you guys have everything I have! Hopefully this would be updated sooner than later. :)_

 _By the way, are any of you watching the finale for Lab Rats: Elite Force? I unfortunately can't, which is a bummer because I was kind of interested in seeing what happens. (Little strange, my first episode to watch being the last :P ) Can I ask you guys a favor, if you read this after the episode has aired? Can you tell me if they mention anything about Leo and/or Adam at all? Pretty please?_


End file.
